EFFECTS OF ARABLE LAND TENURE AND UTILISATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AMONG SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA

Well Researched and Ready to use Ph.D Thesis, page number: 192, Department: Agricultural Economics

ABSTRACT

The study analysed the effects of arable land tenure and utilisation on environmental degradation among small-scale farmers in North-Central Nigeria. Specifically, it: described households’ land tenure and use characteristics; estimated the causal relationship between tenure security and investment on arable land; assessed arable crop farmers’ perspective on the intensity of environmental degradation; determined the effects of arable land tenure and

use practices on intensity of environmental degradation; evaluated the factors influencing environmental sustainability; examined the effects of environmental degradation adaptation strategies on land use efficiency; assessed the vulnerability of farm households to environmental degradation; and examined factors influencing vulnerability of farm households to environmental degradation in the study area. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 360 respondents for the study. Data for the study were obtained from primary sources with the aid of a well structured questionnaire and analysed using

descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found that, land acquisition was predominantly (47.5%) through inheritance. Majority (79.8%) of the respondents had controlling access to a piece of land. Out of this, 53.7% believed they could transfer their rights to their children, 62.9% believed they could lease it out while 41.6% believed they could sell the land outrightly. Average total size of land holding was 4.422 ha, out of which the farmers

cultivated 2.99 ha, while 1.43 ha was left to fallow. Fallow Rotation Intensity was 0.89 indicating continuous cropping. Averagely, cropping intensity index was 0.47. The result showed a reverse causation from investment to transfer right to land. Farmers perceived environmental degradation with high intensity (2.46). Herbicide use (-0.06) reduced intensity of environmental degradation, while complete tillage (0.78), high frequency of manual weeding (0.96), land conflicts (0.55) and sloppy farm land (1.09) increased intensity of environmental degradation. A positive coefficient of education of household heads (0.40), farming experience (0.05), extension contact (0.07), crop diversification (0.34), irrigation use (3.89), land tenure security (0.82), tree planting (3.13) and quantity of fertilizer used (0.35) implied increase in environmental sustainability with increase in these variables. However, population density (-0.19) reduced environmental sustainability. Crop diversification (0.31) and tractorisation (0.99) increased farmers’ economic inefficiency in land use. Improved varieties (-0.01), crop rotation (-0.53) and clean clearing/burning (-0.33) reduced economic inefficiency. The mean households’ vulnerability index was 2.86, and fell under the vulnerable group. Access to credit (-1.87), land fragmentation (-0.30) and land tenure security (-2.03) positively favoured less vulnerability, while intensity of environmental

hazards (1.33) increased vulnerability to environmental degradation. It was concluded that land tenure security impacted substantially on investment on the arable land, increase in environmental sustainability and reduction in the vulnerability of farm households to environmental degradation in the study area. Also, land use, coupled with management practices is key instrument for achieving environmental security. It was recommended that, Government should establish a more effective and efficient land title registration system that would enhance individual tenure security; proper teaching of farmers in rural areas on the best ways to cultivate and harvest crops should be done by extension agents; community leaders and farmers should ensure that communal crises and land conflicts are well handled and managed in a way that do not disrupt the goal of sustainable environmental Management.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Information

Attainment of food self-sufficiency is one of the prominent developmental agenda facing most nations of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Saka, Okoruwa, Oni & Oyekale, 2011). This has severally been attributed to persistent imbalance between population and food growth rates (Rosegrant, Paisner, Meijer, & Witcover, 2001, United States Development Agency, USDA, 2006). Nigeria, by virtue of its prominent position as the most populous nation in the region, is in no way facing lesser challenges of reducing dependence on food import through improvement in food self sufficiency ratio which, in turn, is pivoted on increased domestic food production (Saka et al., 2011).

Nigeria is one of the most developed economies in Africa with the petroleum industry providing 95% of foreign exchange earnings and about 80% of budget revenues. Yet, agriculture is still the main source of revenue for two-thirds of the population (National Technical Working Group, 2009). Agriculture has always played a key role in the nation’s economy, it contributed about 42% to Gross Domestic Product as against 13% for oil and gas in 2009 and 40% in 2010 (National Bureau of Statistics & Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2012). Also, the agricultural sector is pivotal to attainment of

national food security as it is the sole provider of the largest proportion of the national total food consumption requirement. The Nigerian agricultural landscape is basically dominated by small-scale farmers who form about 90% of the farming population. The bulk of farms are both physically small (less than two hectares of good arable land) and operated at the household level using, for the most part, family labour. Hence, for the majority of poor households, improving the productivity of the domestic food and agricultural systems is key to enhancing well-being and escape from poverty (Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), 2004). Despite the nation’s over-dependence on oil revenue since the 1970s, land remains the most important long-term resource base for the direct and indirect support of plants and animals, which man uses (National Environmental Study Team (NEST), 1991).

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