Gender Analysis of Cassava Farmers’ Climate Change Awareness ... 99in relation to the reference group as the independent variables increase. This is
explained thus, that the probability of the cassava farmers to adopt these
adaptation strategies was greater than the probability of opting for the
reference group. However, this probability was greater among male cassava
farmers than among female cassava farmers in the study area. The negative
and significant parameter explains the fact that the probability of choosing
such adaptation strategies was however lower relative to the probability of
being in the reference group which was more among female cassava farmers
than among male cassava farmers. These findings agree to (Ajayi, 2016) and
(Sofoluwe et al., 2011), although their studies were not gender-based and
therefore were not comparative of male and female farmers.
CONCLUSION
The study of gender analysis of cassava farmers’ climate change
awareness and adaptation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has been able to
comparatively assess climate change awareness and adaptation among male
and female cassava farmers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Generally,
the study indicated that awareness on climate change was low in the study area
although better among male cassava farmers than among female cassava
farmers. Therefore, awareness programmes on climate change should be
encouraged but more programmes of awareness should be directed at female
cassava farmers. The channels of such awareness or dissemination of
information on climate change should be through the extension workers, the
broadcast media (i.e., TV and Radio), and the print media for both male and
female cassava farmers while using farmers associations more for female
farmers as the study has revealed. Improving environmental management
practices, enhancing the technical know-how of cassava farmers, improving
farming management practices and cropping systems and making adequate
funds available for climate change adaptation are some of the ways policy
makers would improve adaptation strategies in the Niger Delta region of
Nigeria. Access to loan and land ownership had greater significant effect on
the decisions of the both the male and female cassava farmers to adopt some of
the adaptation strategies like changing planting and harvest time and planting
of cover crops and trees. Ensuring access to credit, encouraging both male and
female cassava farmers to own their farmlands will create opportunities for
cassava farm incomes. However, the study reviewed that both male and female
cassava farmers showed similar pattern in the factors influencing their choice