Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices and Gender-Differentiated Food-Nutrition Outcomes: Empirical Evidence from Rural South Africa
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Date
2026
Authors
Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso
Abiodun Olusola Omotayo
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AERC
Abstract
Climate change significantly impacts rural households' dietary outcomes by reducing farm productivity and income, prompting farmers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAP) to mitigate adverse effects. This study examines the impact of CSAP adoption on gender-differentiated food security outcomes proxied by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and household dietary diversity score (HDDS) in rural South Africa. Using nationally representative survey data from a baseline assessment conducted in 2023 through the ClimapAfrica Programme, we employed a Multinomial Endogenous Switching Regression (MESR) model to address selection bias and estimate the effects of CSAP adoption on gender-differentiated HFIAS and HDDS. Results show that male-headed households (MHHs) exhibited lower HFIAS scores (11.25) and higher HDDS (9.22) than female-headed households (FHHs), indicating that FHHs experienced greater food insecurity and less dietary diversity. These differences are attributed to gender-based disparities in access to resources such as land, credit, and extension services, education, and off-farm income opportunities. Furthermore, CSAP adoption patterns vary significantly by gender, with MHHs more likely to fully adopt CSAPs (21%) compared to FHHs (11%), while FHHs exhibit higher rates of single adoption (28%) and non-adoption (15%). Additionally, factors influencing CSAP adoption include farm size, cooperative membership, education, and access to credit, with gender-specific variations. Notably, full CSAP adoption positively impacted HDDS and reduced HFIAS across genders, with MHHs experiencing greater gains. Partial and single adoptions also enhance dietary outcomes, albeit to a lesser extent, with MHHs benefiting more from partial adoption due to higher off-farm income and agricultural diversification. The results highlight that while CSAP adoption significantly improves food security, persistent gender disparities highlight the need for targeted interventions that enhance resource access and opportunities for FHHs, thereby fostering greater resilience and sustainable agricultural productivity under changing climatic conditions.