Impact of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices on Household Food Security among Smallholder Yam Farmers in Central Nigeria

African Journal of Agriculture | Vol. 13, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 066–073

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJA/000742

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Impact of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices on Household Food Security among Smallholder Yam Farmers in Central Nigeria

Names of Authors: Olorunfemi J. Ayeni¹, Emeka C. Nwosu¹, Blessing O. Ibrahim²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria; ²Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract: Vulnerability to climate shocks routinely threatens smallholder yam (Dioscorea rotundata) production, a major staple food and income source across Nigeria's middle belt. Adopting Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices is widely promoted to reduce these risks, but empirical evidence linking adoption to measurable food security gains remains limited. This study investigated the factors driving CSA adoption and measured its impact on household food security among 420 yam farmers in central Nigeria. The surveyed practices included minimum tillage, intercropping with legumes, mulching, and using early-maturing varieties. An Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) framework was employed to account for unobserved self-selection bias among adopters. The empirical models revealed that access to agricultural extension services, ownership of a mobile phone, and secure land tenure significantly increased the probability of adopting multiple CSA practices (p < 0.05). The ESR model showed that adopting CSA practices generated an average 28.4% increase in yam yields per hectare. Furthermore, household indicators revealed that adoption increased daily per capita calorie intake by 412 kcal and lowered the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) score from 8.4 down to 3.2. These results confirm that climate-smart yam cultivation significantly strengthens household food security and climate resilience, emphasizing the need for targeted extension campaigns.

Keywords: Climate-smart agriculture, Endogenous switching, Dioscorea rotundata, Food security, Household assets, Impact assessment

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 02, 2026; Revised: June 10, 2026; Accepted: July 04, 2026; Published: August 22, 2026

Citation: Ayeni, O. J., Nwosu, E. C., & Ibrahim, B. O. (2026). Impact of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices on Household Food Security among Smallholder Yam Farmers in Central Nigeria. African Journal of Agriculture, 13(8), 066–073. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJA/000742

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