Small holder farmers' perceptions of climate change and variability affecting food security in Kazomba extension planning area, Mzimba District, Malawi.

Abstract

Climate change and variability pose significant threats to rural livelihoods in Malawi, particularly among smallholder farmers who depend on climate -sensitive agricultural activities. Climate change and variability have a direct effect on agricultural output, ultimately impacting the food security of smallholder farmers. This study assessed farmers’ perceptions of climate change and variability affecting food security, focusing on its occurrence, causes, impacts, and adaptation strategies in Kazomba Extension Planning Area, Mzimba District, Malawi. A convergent mixed methods approach was employed, combining household interviews with 320 smallholder farmers and historical meteorological data obtained from the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS (version 25.0), applying descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and correlation analysis and Microsoft Excel 2016. The findings revealed that farmers’ perceptions aligned with the observed climate trends, including a 2.4oC rise in temperature and declining rainfall between 1982 and 2019. Farmers reported increased drought frequency (82%) and reduced flood events (83.1%), attributing climate changes primarily to human activities such as deforestation, poor farming practices, and vehicle emissions. Reported impacts included reduced crop yields, declining soil fertility, shorter rainy seasons, and increased pest and disease prevalence. Adaptation strategies adopted by farmers included crop diversification, intercropping, mulching, organic manure use, prayers, and dietary changes. Adoption of these strategies was significantly associated with demographic and socioeconomic factors such as marital status, age, gender, education level, income source, land ownership, access to extension services, climate change training, farm credit, and local group membership. The study recommends the development of tailored, household-specific interventions and the strengthening of education and extension services at the village level to enhance resilience among smallholder farmers.