How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa

Maize is the primary food staple in southern Africa, and 50 percent of the total maize output in the area is produced in South Africa, where maize constitutes approximately 70 percent of grain production and covers 60 percent of the country's cropping area. Climate change could have a significant im...

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Main Authors: Akpalu, Wisdom, Hassan, Rashid M., Ringler, Claudia
Format: Brief
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161438
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author Akpalu, Wisdom
Hassan, Rashid M.
Ringler, Claudia
author_browse Akpalu, Wisdom
Hassan, Rashid M.
Ringler, Claudia
author_facet Akpalu, Wisdom
Hassan, Rashid M.
Ringler, Claudia
author_sort Akpalu, Wisdom
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Maize is the primary food staple in southern Africa, and 50 percent of the total maize output in the area is produced in South Africa, where maize constitutes approximately 70 percent of grain production and covers 60 percent of the country's cropping area. Climate change could have a significant impact on South African maize production. The scientific community has established that the temperature in South Africa increased significantly between 1960 and 2003 (by 0.13 degrees Celsius), and further temperature increases and changes in the quantity and pattern of rainfall are expected despite any attempts by the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although the maize plant is quite hardy and adaptable to harsh conditions, warmer temperatures and lower levels of precipitation could have detrimental effects on yields, thereby increasing food insecurity in the region. This brief is based on a paper that uses household survey data to explore the direct impact of climate variability, measured by changes in temperature and precipitation, on maize yields in the Limpopo Basin of South Africa.
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spelling CGSpace1614382025-11-06T04:34:53Z How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa Akpalu, Wisdom Hassan, Rashid M. Ringler, Claudia yield function maize entropy climate variability climate change Maize is the primary food staple in southern Africa, and 50 percent of the total maize output in the area is produced in South Africa, where maize constitutes approximately 70 percent of grain production and covers 60 percent of the country's cropping area. Climate change could have a significant impact on South African maize production. The scientific community has established that the temperature in South Africa increased significantly between 1960 and 2003 (by 0.13 degrees Celsius), and further temperature increases and changes in the quantity and pattern of rainfall are expected despite any attempts by the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although the maize plant is quite hardy and adaptable to harsh conditions, warmer temperatures and lower levels of precipitation could have detrimental effects on yields, thereby increasing food insecurity in the region. This brief is based on a paper that uses household survey data to explore the direct impact of climate variability, measured by changes in temperature and precipitation, on maize yields in the Limpopo Basin of South Africa. 2008 2024-11-21T09:55:44Z 2024-11-21T09:55:44Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161438 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Akpalu, Wisdom; Hassan, Rashid M.; Ringler, Claudia. 2008. How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa. How can African agriculture adapt to climate change; Research Brief 15(10). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161438
spellingShingle yield function
maize
entropy
climate variability
climate change
Akpalu, Wisdom
Hassan, Rashid M.
Ringler, Claudia
How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa
title How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa
title_full How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa
title_fullStr How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa
title_short How can African agriculture adapt to climate change: Climate variability and maize yield in South Africa
title_sort how can african agriculture adapt to climate change climate variability and maize yield in south africa
topic yield function
maize
entropy
climate variability
climate change
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161438
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AT hassanrashidm howcanafricanagricultureadapttoclimatechangeclimatevariabilityandmaizeyieldinsouthafrica
AT ringlerclaudia howcanafricanagricultureadapttoclimatechangeclimatevariabilityandmaizeyieldinsouthafrica