Climate Change and Access to Farming Support Among Rural Farmers in Southeast Nigeria: Implication for Food Security and Sustainable Development

Abstract: Climate change has become a worrisome phenomenon disrupting global ecosystems with significant impact on agriculture thereby posing a threat to global food production and security. Indicatively, the increasing impact of climate change on agriculture, particularly the rural farmers necessitates interventions in the agricultural sector through various policies and farming support for the rural farmers in the developing nations. This study investigates the impact of climate change on rural farmers and access to farming support in the south east Nigeria with a focus on the implications for food security and sustainable development. It posits that rural farmers in the area experience increased variability in rainfall, temperature extremes, and more frequent extreme weather events, leading to crop losses and reduced yields. The study involved 684 rural farmers in southeast Nigeria rural communities, while survey research method and questionnaire instrument were adopted in executing the study. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. According to the findings of the study, majority of the farmers (70%) depended on personal and other supports rather than government farming support, there is a strong negative correlation between climate change impact and food security rho(684) = -.856, p < .01 as well as a strong positive correlation between access to farm support and food security rho(684) = .812, p < .01, while, food security is predicted by education, access to farm support, herdsmen/farmers clash and climate change impacts. In other words, access to farm support, such as climate-resilient seeds, irrigation infrastructure, and extension services, remains limited thereby exacerbating food insecurity in rural areas of south east Nigeria. The study recommends targeted interventions that enhance farmers' adaptive capacity, improve access to resources, and promote sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and ensure long-term food security and sustainable development in the region.