Coping strategies and struggle against food insecurity: the case of district Banda in Bundelkhand region, India

Abstract

Present study examines the current situation of food insecurity in Banda district of Bundelkhand region on the basis of measures of food quality and food quantity. Coping strategy index (CSI) and dietary diversity index has been used as qualitative and subjective measures to capture the dimensions of food accessibility and food vulnerability. Dietary pattern has been taken as a quantitative and objective measure to capture the dimension of food availability. The study emphasize on the coping strategies adopted by the households supported by declining dietary status, dietary diversity and meal pattern of the households. Data used for the analysis were obtained from 240 households that were selected from sixteen villages on the basis of multistage stratified random sampling. Study shows that the frequency and intensity of coping strategies opted by the households increases as the intensity of food insecurity within the household increases. The CSI shows high condition of food insecurity and recommends periodic evaluation and monitoring of food insecurity at different time across the year.