Climate Change Threatens West Africa's Food Security, Research Shows

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted by Covenant University and published in the Journal of Discover Sustainability highlights the severe impact of climate change on food security in West Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso and Nigeria. The study, which utilized Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) analysis and geospatial tools, found that climate change variables such as relative humidity, precipitation, and temperature significantly affect food production in the region. The research concludes that adapting to these changes through training farmers and implementing targeted interventions could mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on food security.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed the impact of climate change on food security in Burkina Faso and Nigeria, utilizing data from the World Bank climate knowledge portal and World development index.
  • The research found that relative humidity, precipitation, and temperature collectively account for a significant portion of the variability in food production across the observations.
  • The study utilized FMOLS to analyze the impact of these variables on food security and geospatial analytical tools to graphically represent these variables.
  • The research concluded that training farmers on the impact of weather conditions on crops and best timing for farming and storing different food crops could mitigate the adverse effects of weather conditions on food agricultural productivity.
  • Policymakers and agricultural stakeholders can utilize these insights to develop adaptive and resilience strategies to promote food security and sustainability.

Statistics:

  • The study found that the included variables (Relative humidity, Precipitation, and Temperature) collectively account for 70% of the variability in food production across the observations.
  • The FMOLS results highlighted the importance of considering weather conditions such as relative humidity, precipitation, and temperature in understanding food production dynamics in Burkina Faso and Nigeria.
  • The research concluded that 80% of the variability in food production in Burkina Faso and Nigeria can be attributed to the impact of climate change.

Sources:

  • "Impact of climate dynamics on food security in Burkina Faso and Nigeria using FMOLS and geospatial analysis." Discover Sustainability, 2025,6(1):1-23. (https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01518-w)
  • NewsRx. Researchers from Covenant University Detail Findings in Climate Change (Impact of climate dynamics on food security in Burkina Faso and Nigeria using FMOLS and geospatial analysis). Global Warming Focus. September 1, 2025; p 195.