Food consumption-production response to agricultural policy and macroeconomic change in Nigeria

Achieving agricultural transformation and farmer resilience in resource-dependent developing countries like Nigeria is complicated by volatile macroeconomic conditions, which disrupt agricultural supply chains through income, foreign exchange, and risk-mitigation effects. This study examines the food consumption-production linkage in Nigeria at a time when the national Agricultural Transformation Agenda was implemented and an economic crisis was unfolding. Many farm households responded to expected shocks by planting more staple foods for own consumption at the expense of agricultural commercialization, income growth, and dietary diversification. A policy initiative to improve access to modern farm inputs appeared to mitigate these adverse effects.

Automated summary

In Nigeria, the implementation of the national Agricultural Transformation Agenda and the unfolding economic crisis led many farm households to reduce agricultural commercialization, income growth, and dietary diversification, instead choosing to plant more staple foods to meet their own consumption needs. An initiative to improve access to modern farm inputs appeared to help mitigate these adverse effects.