Abstract
This study examined the relationship between poverty status and dietary diversity among farming household in Gassol, Taraba State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select 120 households in the study area from whom data were collected. The data were analyzed using Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS); Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) Index; and Tobit regression model. The result of HDDS showed that 92% of the farming households had low dietary diversity while the FGT result showed that 70% of the farming households were poor. Tobit regression revealed that the coefficients of household size, farm size, household dietary diversity and income from sales of non-agricultural goods were negatively significant; however gender and marital status were positively significant. Based on this, it was established that there is a significant relationship between poverty status and HDDS. This relationship was such that the higher the level of poverty, the lower the dietary diversity of the farming households. This implies that the poorer a farming household is, the lesser their dietary diversity and nutritional intake. This could be attributed to the minimal profit margin obtain by farmers owing to the fact that they mostly sell their farm produce immediately after harvest. Consequent upon this, they remain impoverished and unable to feed well. It is therefore recommended that the shelve lives of these agricultural produce should be enhanced through research. There is also need for the farmers to be educated on the importance of balance diet. Finally, they should be supported with nutritional supplements to improve their health status and consequently their poverty status. Keywords: Poverty, dietary, diversity, farming, households, Gassol DOI : 10.7176/JESD/11-2-12 Publication date: January 31 st 2020
Highlights
Poverty has remained a global problem that continued to demean human dignity by making life to be degrading (Kwaghe et al, 2009)
4 Result and Discussion 4.1 Food Intake Diversity Twelve (12) food groups included in the (Household Dietary Diversity Score) were cereals, roots and tubers, legumes and products, meat and product; fish and sea foods; dairy and products, fruits and product, bakery product; fat and oils, poultry and eggs and miscellaneous
This implies that most households had low food intake diversity per day due to competing demand on available household income which limits their access to varieties of foods
Summary
Poverty has remained a global problem that continued to demean human dignity by making life to be degrading (Kwaghe et al, 2009). The issue of poverty has been a major concern to many nations, the developing countries. Since independence in Nigeria, effort at national and community development has been aimed at reducing poverty and promoting growth. Poverty in Nigeria remains significant despite high economic growth reported in the country. It first started sometimes during the British Empire. Oshewolo (2010) reported that Nigeria is richly endowed and the country’s wealth potential manifest in the form of natural, geographical and socioeconomic factors. With this condition, Nigeria rank among the richest countries of the world that should have no business with extreme poverty. The menace of poverty in Nigeria is an incontrovertible fact which has a concomitant effect of hunger, ignorance, malnutrition, disease, unemployment, poor access to credit facilities and low life expectancy as well as a general level of human hopelessness
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