Establishing the nexus between climate change adaptation strategy and smallholder farmers' food security status in South Africa: A bi-casual effect using instrumental variable approach

Background: Climate change negatively impacted agricultural food production. Amidst the means of adjustment is the use of adaptation strategies to combat the detrimental effect. In order to promote zero hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and encourage sustainable agriculture, which were listed under the second goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, then, farmers must necessarily have recourse to controlling measures. Consequently, climate change adaptation strategy was identified as one of the key approaches to achieving the catalogue itemised under the second goal. Hence this study aimed to determine the synergy between climate change adaptation strategy and smallholder farmers' food security status in South Africa, in addition to exploring factors that influenced the duo. A cross-sectional survey was conducted where 346 maize farmers in Ngaka Modiri Molema District of the North West Province, South Africa were interviewed. Data were analysed using STATA software, while two-stage regression model was used to establish the bi-causal link. On the one hand, the result highlighted variables that influenced climate change adaptation strategies: awareness of climate change, access to irrigation and frequency of agricultural extension agent visit. On the other, instrumental variables such as climate change adaptation strategies, household expenditure, and marital status were statistically significant and impact food security status in the study area. The paper established the nexus between climate change adaptation strategy and food security among smallholder maize farmers in the study area. Hence, the study recommended that in order to increase food security status, climate change adaptation strategy must be improved.