EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND IMPACTS ON ENVIRONMENT AND FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA- A CASE STUDY OF IHIALA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE

ABSTRACT

The study examined impact of agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area inAnambra State, Nigeria. The survey research was used in this study to sample the opinion of respondents. This method involved random selection of respondents who were administered with questionnaires. Relevant conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature was reviewed. The target population of the study comprised selected residents in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. The questionnaire administered was three hundred and ten (310) copies and three hundred copies (300) retrieved which constitute the sample size. The descriptive and analytical approach was adopted using Chi-square to test and analyze the hypotheses earlier stated.  The result revealed that there is a significant impact of agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in  Anambra State, Nigeria. The finding of the study also reveals that land ownership is one of the factors that affect the agricultural practices in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria. The findings of the study also reveal that there is a significant relationship between agricultural practices and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria. The finding of the study also reveals that lack of farming seedlings is on the factor that affect the agricultural practices in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria. The findings of the study reveal that encouraging Fadama Development Project is one of the ways to improve food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria. It was therefore concluded that agricultural practices significantly have impact on the environment and food security Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that the government of Nigeria should make provision for adequate seedlings, agricultural tools and resources to both commercial and subsistence farmers if the issue of food insecurity is to be eliminated in Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The two aspects of agriculture that are most strongly influenced by socioeconomic conditions and climate variability are food production and source of livelihood (Amir& Ahmed, 2013). Additionally, agriculture has a strong connection to global, local, household, and individual food security(FAO, 2008). Systems of agricultural production have altered due to the tremendous increase in global population in order to meet the growing demand for food (Mozumder, 2012). The tremendous changes in farming and agriculture, particularly for staples like rice and wheat, have altered the food system and production methods during the second half of the 20th century (Bjorkhaug, 2012).

The ratio of agricultural outputs to inputs is used to calculate agricultural productivity (Dharmasiri, 2013). While crop yield, the measurement of specific goods by weight, is typical, the variety of products makes estimating total agricultural output challenging. Total factor productivity, or TFP, can also be used to gauge agricultural productivity. This method of calculating agricultural productivity compares an index of agricultural inputs to an index of outputs. This measure of agricultural production was developed to address the limitations of partial measures of productivity, particularly the difficulty in determining the causes of change. Agriculture productivity is crucial for ensuring food security (Mbow et al., 2019). According to Nlebem (2018), around 70% of Nigeria's workforce is involved in agriculture. Prior to the discovery of oil and the ensuing boom, agriculture was the main source of foreign exchange in the nation, but the oil boom diminished this importance. Invariably, more than 70% of Nigerians work in agriculture, primarily for sustenance.An important aspect of the Nigerian agricultural production landscape is that small farms with land holdings of less than 2.0 hectares per farmer produce over 90% of the nation's total agricultural output (Aturamu and Daramola, 2005). Additionally, the majority of these farmers continue to use outdated management techniques that are not financially feasible, which has the overall consequence of low productivity and an inefficient production process(Ogunsumi, 2005).

The main crops grown in Nigeria's 70.8 million hectares of agricultural land are maize, cassava, guinea corn, yam beans, millet, and rice. Nigeria produced 4.0 million metric tons of rice in 2018, up from 3.7 million in 2017. Despite this, only 57% of the 6.7 million metric tons of rice consumed in Nigeria each year is produced locally, leaving a shortage of around 3 million metric tons that is either imported or illegally smuggled into the nation.In order to boost domestic production, the government prohibited rice imports in 2019. The Nigeria-Africa Trade and Investment Promotion Programme, the Presidential Economic Diversification Initiative, Economic and Export Promotion Incentives, the Zero Reject Initiative, Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) are just a few of the initiatives and programs that the government has put in place to promote agricultural productivity(Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], 2022). All of these initiatives attempted to raise agricultural productivity in order to produce an abundance of commodity crops for export on the global market as well as enough food to meet domestic demand. Additionally, they seek to reverse forest loss and degradation, promote sustainable resource management, restore degraded areas, and lessen erosion and climate vulnerability(FAO, 2022). Despite its economic significance, Nigeria's agricultural sector suffers numerous difficulties that have an impact on its output. Poor land tenure practices, insufficient irrigation for farming, climate change, and land degradation are a few of these. Others include inadequate financing, large post-harvest losses, low technology, high production costs, and poor input allocation (FAO, 2022).

A significant majority of the population in emerging countries depends on agriculture, either directly or indirectly. According to the World Bank, 1.3 billion of the 2.5 billion people who depend on agriculture for their primary means of subsistence are small farmers and landless laborers.

By 2050, there will be 9.7 billion people on the planet, and one of the most effective ways to feed them is through agricultural development (World Bank, 2022). 80% of the world's poor, who reside in rural areas and work mostly in agriculture, may invariably benefit from agriculture's ability to lower poverty, increase incomes, and improve food security (World Bank, 2022). For all of these people, increased agricultural productivity is extremely important. A higher agricultural output in a region suggests that scarce resources are distributed more effectively. Nigeria has faced extremely low yields per hectare over the past few years as a result of shortages in the provision of inputs like seedlings and fertilizers as well as insufficient irrigation and harvesting systems, which reduces productivity and yield rates (Olayiran, 2020). Farmer planning for the forthcoming season is aided by relevant resources like crop production models and weather forecasting. Farmers can alter crop planting dates, employ suitable genotypes, modify fertilization and irrigation cycles, and attain reasonable yields by using the results of the simulation, which lowers the chance of unforeseen events(Tandzi and Mutengwa, 2019). Knowing the proper planting techniques is crucial because, even while the overall planted area doesn't change, climate events affect the choice of planting technique and, in turn, yield (Lizumi and Ramankutty, 2014). In the same spirit, it has been stated that any programs designed to reduce the negative effects of climate change on the production of food crops should take into account the type of crop grown, the area where it is produced, as well as the geographic and climatic conditions(Poudel and Shaw, 2016). Despite the difficulties and recent declines in agricultural productivity rates worldwide, the outlook for increased farm efficiency and its potential influence on economic growth is positive. This is particularly true in developing countries, where increasing agricultural areas has the potential to significantly increase their existing productivity rates (AGRIVI, 2022).

Most people think of food insecurity as a "third world problem" that can be resolved by raising agricultural productivity (Ingram, 2011). The production, processing, distribution, preparation, and consumption of food, as well as food systems that place an emphasis on food security, are the results of dynamic interactions between and within the bio-geophysical and human contexts. However, the social and cultural acceptability of food in a culture also affects the amount, quality, and safety of food security (Gross et al., 2000).

The selection of seeds underwent radical modifications in Nigeria as a result of the transition from subsistence to market-oriented farming (Harun, Alam, & Azad, 2003). The quality and quantity of food is influenced by the use of hybrid and high yielding seeds together with the appropriate irrigation, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and mechanical instruments (Rahman & Parvin, 2009; Mozumdar, 2012). Nigeria still has food insecurity and more than 36% of children under the age of five are malnourished despite significant growth in agricultural production and food sufficiency (Mondal, 2010) (USAID, 2018). Food security in emerging nations like Nigeria has become extremely difficult to comprehend because of the large population, lack of arable land, and traditional family structure (Koirala, Mishra & Mohanty, 2016).

The transition from food insecurity to food security takes into account a society's agricultural practices, including food production and supply (Ericksen, 2008). However, the social, economic, political, and cultural aspects of a society have a significant impact on both food production and security(Kristjanson et al., 2012). The social structure determines not only what, how, and for whom food is produced, but it also affects who has access to it, how it will be used, and how food stability can be achieved. Additionally, with a rise in natural disasters and high climate variability, climate change has a direct and indirect impact on food productivity, which farmers across the globe must contend with(Ochieng, Kirimi&Malthenge, 2015). Affected are farmers all across the world. Climate change has recently posed challenges to both food production and livelihood options, especially in developing nations like Nigeria(Khadka, 2011).The federal government of Nigeria has made efforts to end hunger and increase food security in the country, however these efforts have been ineffective because Nigeria has excellent food security. It is based on this background that the present study seek to examine the impact of agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government, Anambra State, Nigeria.

Statement of the Problem

Nigeria wants to diversify her economy away from reliance on crude oil. With a growing population that is becoming more dependent on imported goods, the nation also confronts a future food security dilemma. The once-dominant farm economy that is focused on subsistence is in danger of being gradually marginalized (Kristjanson et al., 2012). Its further development has been hampered by unstable land tenure, a lack of resources and finance, a labor shortage despite generally high unemployment, and stalled technology.Numerous legislation, programs, and projects have attempted to address these issues, but to little avail. When given the option, young individuals from rural areas choose to venture to urban centers. The difficulties facing agriculture are made worse by climate change. Due to its reliance on natural resources, the industry is exposed to hazards like desertification, climate change, altered rainfall patterns, and sea level rise, which can degrade agriculture and exacerbate conflict.

A range of various approaches to this challenge are the focus of current literature in the topic. One area of emphasis is the evaluation of agricultural practices as input processes for agriculture and the transformation of agricultural inputs (Godfray et al., 2010). Analyzing contemporary agricultural technologies is a different strategy (Fan et al., 2012). Additionally, researchers are interested in how greater agricultural output affects food security (Godfray et al., 2010). Additionally, relatively little research has been done on how sociodemographic characteristics and population expansion affect the shift of modern agricultural productivity toward food security (Morton, 2007). However, according to the existing literature, agricultural practices are not seen as social norms valued by society or as being significantly impacted by socioeconomic issues as opposed to contemporary agricultural thought (Fan et al., 2012; Sarki et al., 2016).Findings revealing how agricultural practices can impact the environment and food security in Nigeria is limited. Hence, the present study is aim at filling this dearth by examining the impact of agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Nigeria with specific reference to Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria.

Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in  Anambra State, Nigeria. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1. To determine impact of agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in  Anambra State, Nigeria.
2. To determine the factors that affect agricultural practices in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria.
3. To ascertain the ways of improving food security  inIhiala Local Government Area in  Anambra State, Nigeria
4. To examine the relationship between agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in  Anambra State.

Research Questions

The following questions were derived from the objective of the study to give it a direction;

1. Doesagricultural practices have on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria?
2. What are the the factors that affect agricultural practices in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria?
3. What are thways of improving food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria?
4. Is there a relationship between agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State?

Research Hypotheses

The following were hypothesized in this study;

Hypothesis 1

H0: There is no significant impact of agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria.

H1: There is a significant impact of agricultural practices on the environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Hypothesis 2

H0: There is no significant relationship betweenagricultural practices and environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria.

H1: There is a significant relationship betweenagricultural practices and environmentand food security in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria

1. Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is to ascertain how agricultural practices impact the environment and food security in Nigeria.

Findings of this study will help the general poplace in knowing the factors that affect the agricultural practices in Nigeria with specific reference to Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State.

The findings of this study will be beneficial to the government of Anambra state and the federal government of Nigeria as a whole in knowing the strategies and ways of improving the food security.

The findings of this study will beneficial to students, researcher and the entire community of scholars in filling the dearth in literature about the impact of agricultural practices on food security. It will also as a source of material for thos who are interested in the same topic in different state in Nigeria.

1. Scope of the Study

This study is limited to the impact of agricultural practices on environment and food security in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. The residents of Ihiala L.G.A, is the core population for this study and findings as well as conclusion are going to made based on their responses.

1. Operational Definition of Terms

Environment: This is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms (biotic factors) in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the environment.

Agriculture: This is the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.

Food security: This occurs when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.