ANALYSIS OF POVERTY-ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION NEXUS AMONG ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
ANALYSIS OF POVERTY-ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION NEXUS AMONG ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2012-11
Authors
MAILUMO, Sunday Sambo
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Abstract
The study analysed the poverty-environmental degradation nexus among arable crop
farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. Using multi-stage sampling technique, 265 farming
households were randomly sampled from 9 communities spread across three Local
Government Areas of the three agro-ecological zones in the State. Primary data
generated from farming household heads through well-structured questionnaires were
mainly used for this study. The household’s socio economic characteristics, income,
expenditure, value of “free” natural resources, and information on factors that lead to
environmental degradation dominated the bulk of the data. The data were analysed
using descriptive statistics (mean, frequencies and percentages), Tobit regression,
Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) index, Likert scale and probit regression model.
Descriptive statistics revealed that the means of the farming households’ age and years
spent schooling were 47 and 7 years respectively. On the average, these farming
households have 11 persons and farmed an average of 5 hectares. The total average
monthly household expenditure was N67,5934 out of which 46% was spent on food
and 23% on natural resources. Fuelwood accounted for the highest natural resource
used with 41%. The Tobit regression analysis revealed that the number of years spent in
school was significant (P<0.01) while farmer’s income and size of farmland were
significant (P<0.05). An increase in any of these variables would result to a probability
of a decrease in the poverty level of the farmers. Age of the farmers was significant
(P<0.10), implying that a unit increase in the age of the farmers, would result to the
probability of increasing poverty. The monthly mean per adult equivalent household
expenditure (MPAEHE) was N3,940. A poverty line of N2,627 was estimated, based
on this poverty line, the FGT measures show that 42% of the farming households in the
study area were poor. Out of the several causes of environmental degradation, not
planting of trees because of non-ownership of farm lands was ranked as the first. The
result of the Likert scale shows that most of the mean scores laid between 3.03 – 3.89
which implied that most of the farmers experienced moderate degradation on their
farms. The probit regression result revealed that the quantity of wood collected, number
of animals allowed to graze and length of time they graze were significant (P<0.01). A
unit increase in any of these variables would lead to the probability of an increase in the
poverty depth of the farmers. Knowledge of natural resource conservation was
significant (P<0.05) and farm size was significant (P<0.10). Increasing any of these
variables by a unit, would result to the probability of decreasing poverty among the
households. Majority (69%) of the farmers deliberately make ridges on their farm lands
against the gradient to serve as a control against washing of the topsoil. In conclusion,
the study indicates that there is a direct relationship between poverty and environmental
degradation. It is recommended that policy makers and managers of poverty alleviation
programmes should identify the poor at community levels for policy targeting. Also,
farmers, environmentalist, researchers and the government should form a synergy to
abate environmental degradation.
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE
STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR
OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
AND RURAL SOCIOLOGY,
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA,
NIGERIA
NOVEMBER, 2012
Keywords
ANALYSIS,, POVERTY-ENVIRONMENTAL,, DEGRADATION,, NEXUS,, ARABLE,, CROP,, FARMERS,, PLATEAU STATE,, NIGERIA.