Examining Consumer Perceptions of Tomato Scarcity in Southwestern Nigeria: Evaluating Awareness, Adaptation, and Sustainable Measures for Improved Food Security

This research investigated consumer perceptions of tomato shortage in Southwest Nigeria, between January and June 2024, with a special emphasis on awareness, adaptive measures, and sustainable practices for better food security. The study employed the quantitative approach utilising a standardised questionnaire administered using Google Forms. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling with informed consent. The questionnaire included multiple-choice, open-ended and Likert-scale questions centred on perceived reasons for tomato shortage, consumer coping strategies and expectations of future scarcity situations. Of the 500 recruited individuals, 308 responded. Upon screening, 297 responses were fit for conducting the study. Using both descriptive and inferential statistics, this research indicated that although 100% of respondents identified the presence of tomato scarcity throughout the time, only 40% are aware that Tuta-absoluta is the main cause. Two other significant underlying causes of shortage are insufficient transportation infrastructure (70%) and inadequate storage facilities (61.6%). Other identified factors are climate change (65%) and the recent fuel subsidy removal (73.4%). Consumers have reacted to the shortage by lowering tomato intake (66.7%), moving to concentrated tomato products (66.7%), and adjusting their cooking practices (56.7%). The two most regularly used alternatives are tomato paste (66.7%) and onions (63.4%). Investing in disease-resistant cultivars (73.4%), developing additional storage facilities (90%), and enhancing transportation infrastructure (91.8%) were considered viable measures to prevent future tomato scarcity in Nigeria. These findings show that consumers perceived tomato shortage to stem from several linked factors and recommend adopting sustainable farming practices, infrastructural development, and farmers’ education to address it.