Impacts of farmers' participation in social capital networks on climate change adaptation strategies adoption in Nigeria

Abstract

Most studies on climate change adaptation strategies adoption have focused on economic factors with little or no attention to the impact of collective actions and social capital networks. This paper investigates how farmers' participation in social capital networks influenced climate change adaptation strategies adoption in Nigeria. This study was carried out in the South-western Nigeria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, binary probit regression, multinomial logit regression, endogenous switching regression and multinomial endogenous switching regression models. The results suggest that significant differences exist in the years of membership in the social capital networks, access to weather information and market between farm managers who adopted climate change adaptation strategies and those who did not. Plot managers who adopted climate change adaptation strategies are found to have obtained much mean yield and farm revenue than their counterparts. The results further show that participation in the social capital networks does not only significantly influence plot manager's decision to adopt but also influences the choice of climate change adaptation strategies adopted by farmers. The study concludes that a farmer who chooses to participate in social capital networks has a higher level of adopting climate change adaptation strategies than what a random farmer would have had in Nigeria. We recommend that policies aimed at increasing the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies among farmers should be channelled through locally organised farmers-based social capital networks.

Abstract

Climate change, Adoption, Adaptation strategies, Participation, Social capital.