Food Insecurity, Food Insecurity Determinants and Coping Strategies in the Urban Space – the Experience of Low Income Households of Msunduza in Mbabane

Abstract

The Urban Food Agenda echoes the importance of improving food security in the urban space and food security remains central in the United Nation Development Agenda (2030) as highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs 2). Nonetheless, urban food security remains the less researched topics in Eswatini, and in southern Africa in general. This study investigated the levels of food insecurity in the low income households of Msunduza in Mbabane, Eswatini. It further captured the food (in)security determinants and the coping strategies employed by Msunduza residents to deal with food shortages. Data was collected from 91 heads of households, selected through systematic sampling procedure. The results reveal that majority of households in Msunduza are food insecure, with a larger proportion in the mildly food insecure category. Household income, household size, education level and employment status, as well as gender of the household head were found to be among the key determinants of food (in)security in the area. In cases of food shortages, households in the informal settlement of Msunduza employ different coping strategies which include reducing food intake (size of meals), begging, settling of household asserts and skipping of meals, among others. The paper recommended that food security interventions be considered for low income urban households, more particularly female headed households which tend to be more vulnerable to food insecurity.