Considering the Climate Change and Variability, Economic, Social-Cultural factors and Agricultural Production Nexus: Towards Food Secure Households.

The global communitys’ approach towards solving complex and interrelated problems by addressing ‘parts’ of the ‘whole’ does not meet the envisioned objectives. This is because most of the challenges are directly related and hence require holistic approach for addressing them. It is important to conceptualize the bigger picture of the system in which the problem exists and determine the relationships that exist before putting in place strategies to address them. In the context of this paper, the complex dynamics at play regarding climate change and variability, food security, economic and socio-cultural dimensions and agricultural production attest to this. Often, due to the broadness of the aforementioned areas, it is very challenging to consider all of them during planning and policy development for food security concerns. The single sector approach, where planning is based on sectoral axis by respective government Ministries results in short term success which are not sustainable. The outcomes are always short sighted policies that fail to recognize the complex interactions of the variables at play. Since the ultimate goal is to develop a systems-based approach in seeking solutions, policy makers should focus on the nexus while making decisions. The need to embrace a ‘systems thinking’ where all factors at play are considered when planning is desirous. This paper presents an in depth consideration of each component and provides an analysis of some of the nexuses that exist. It further proposes strategies that should be considered in order to achieve food security that are cognizant of the nexus. It is envisaged that this will inform an effective design of policies and regulatory framework.