Perceived Impacts of Climate Change on Food Systems in Small-ScaleFarming Communities of Arsi and East Shewa (Oromia region), Ethiopia

Weather variability has long affected food systems in small-scale farming communities, constraining seasonal food availability and contributing to food shortages at global and local levels. This study assessed farmers’ perceptions of climate change impacts on the food system. Quantitative data were collected from 410 randomly selected farmers (200 from highland and 210 from lowland communities) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Poisson regression. Most highland (59.0%) and lowland (60.5%) respondents reported a moderate negative impact on household food self-sufficiency; 59.0% and 55.2%, respectively, reported a moderate negative impact on food security. In highland communities, 31.5% and 32.0% reported low negative impacts on food self-sufficiency and food security, whereas 35.2% and 42.9% of lowland respondents reported high negative impacts, respectively. Only 37.5% of highland households and 9.0% of lowland households could meet food needs for 11–12 months from their own farms. Poisson regression indicated a positive association between food self-sufficiency and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, while drought frequency was negatively associated with food self-sufficiency. The findings underscore the importance of climate-smart agriculture and locally tailored policies for reducing climate-related impacts on household food systems.