Abstract

<p>This study assessed the impact of climate change on the use of plastic products among agro-marketers and horticultural enterprises in the Calabar Agricultural Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 200 respondents selected through a multistage sampling procedure. The findings reveal that climate change significantly influenced the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, leading to an increase in labor demand (mean = 2.7), enhanced membership in professional, cooperative, and market organizations (mean = 2.53), and improved knowledge on plastic products and climate change awareness (mean = 2.47). Moreover, climate change impacted agro-market enterprises through the imposition of carbon emission taxes (mean = 2.94), rising packaging costs due to unfavorable plastic policies (mean = 2.92), and an increase in the release of harmful chemicals from plastic waste caused by higher temperatures (mean = 2.75). The study recommends raising climate change awareness among agro-marketers and horticulturists in the region to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on plastic usage. Additionally, government agencies should closely monitor plastic production to ensure the elimination or reduction of harmful chemicals, which are particularly sensitive to climate variations, thereby affecting the quality of products in plastic packaging</p>