Drivers of household food security: Evidence from the Ghana living standards survey

Abstract

The continuous increase in the population remains a challenge as the demand for food also increases at a greater pace than food production. This study sought to examine the determinants of food security in Ghana using the Ghana Living Standard Survey round seven (GLSS 7) data. Households' food security was measured using a food consumption score (FCS). A partial proportional odds model (PPO) was employed to analyse the drivers of household food security in Ghana. The results showed that being a male household head, engaging in farming, and leaving in rural areas decrease the household's chances of falling into poor and borderline food consumption poverty. The study, therefore, concluded that households in Ghana may be food-consumption-poor due to factors such as low level of education, employment status, and the location of the household, that is being in a rural area. Policies that provide employment and bridge the rural-urban divide, increasing access to education, particularly, nutrition education will enhance household food security status.