Climate Smart Agricultural Technologies and Household Food Security among Smallholder Rice Producers in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.

This study focused on climate smart agricultural technologies and household food security among smallholder rice producers in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. A simple random sampling design was employed to select 280 rice growers. Primary data were utilized based on a well-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, climate smart agricultural practices used index, food security index, FGT (Foster, Greer and Thorbecke) Model, and Probit dichotomous regression model (PDRM). The results show that the average age of rice farmer was 42 years, with 9 years of education and 10 years of farming experience, utilizing a farm size of 1.15 hectares with a household of 7 persons. Farmers reported frequent extension contacts (4/month) and accessed an average of ₦150,000 in credit. Due to relatively high engagement with extension, approximately 65.00% used improved seeds, and but a low proportion adopted crop diversification (23.93%) or irrigation (24.64%). Furthermore, the result also revealed that the majority (68.21%) of households which approximately 191 out of 280 rice growers were food insecure. Probit regression analysis revealed that education, farm size, extension services, access to credit, use of improved seeds, and irrigation facilities had positive coefficients and were significant factors influencing household food security. These findings highlight the critical role of human capital, resource access, and the adoption of key climate smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) in enhancing food security among smallholder rice farmers, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to improve their productivity, enhance income and minimize shocks associated with weather variability.