Nexus between summer climate variability and household food security in rural Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Abstract

Ongoing climate changes are likely to impact household food security in rural households that depend on rainfed subsistence agriculture. This paper investigates the relationship between summer climate variability and household food security in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa. We used a household panel data set nested in the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System, together with rainfall and temperature data for the summer periods 2006-07 to 2018-19 from three weather stations that surround the study area. We quantified the variability of rainfall using coefficient of variation and the standardised rainfall anomaly index, while temperature variability was reflected by the standardised temperature anomaly. In addition, the Mann-Kendall analysis was applied to detect temporal trends in rainfall and temperature. Longitudinal models accounting for socioeconomic and climate factors were used to estimate the relationship between weather and climate. The results reveal significant impact on food security from high inter-annual rainfall variability through fluctuations in food consumption, dietary diversity, and the experience of hunger. This study offers significant insights on how dietary diversity, food availability and overall food security are positively associated with greater average rainfall through subsistence agriculture as a livelihood strategy. These insights have important implications by suggesting seasonal forecasts to predict periods of potential food insecurity in local communities and can guide government policy and interventions to lessen food insecurity in rural areas.