Household Food Security Situation Research Articles

The Influence of Household Characteristics, Income, and Technology Access on Household Food Security Post-COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The research was undertaken after synthesizing select findings from prior studies about the effects of COVID-19 on food security. However, it is noteworthy that certain limitations in the research have neglected to address the state of household food security post-COVID-19 pandemic. This scholarly aims to assess the food security situation of households after the COVID-19 outbreak by analyzing the influencing factors, such as age, education level of the household’s chief, number of dependents, income, and access to technology. The employed methodology is a quantitative research strategy that utilizes logistic regression analysis. The study included a sample of 30 households in Pangkajene Kepulauan Regency. The findings indicate that the -2 log-likelihood score was 68.742, less than the Chi-square table value of 70.52. Therefore, it can be concluded that the model met the test criteria for the inclusion of variable X. The Nagelkerke R square coefficient of determination is 88%, indicating that the independent variables exert a statistically significant impact on the dependent variable, namely food security. Partially, education, income, and access to technology notably impact food security. This study has optimistic possibilities for making policy recommendations that governments can use in addressing the global food crisis post-pandemic COVID-19.

A Holistic Analysis of Food Security Situation of Households Engaged in Land Certification and Sustainable Land Management Programs: South Wello, Ethiopia.

Land degradation, food and tenure insecurity are significant problems in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, particularly in the region known as the country's famine corridor. Addressing these twine issues in the region has become a focal point for both local and international organizations, underscoring the significance of preventive measures. Since 2000, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has been implementing sustainable land management and certification programs. This study aims on households involved in these programs, specifically in Dessie Zuria and Kutaber Woredas, South Wello Zone (SWZ). The primary objectives of the research were to assess households' current food security status, identify factors influencing their food security, and classify coping and survival strategies employed by households during food shortages. Primary and secondary sources have been used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data were collected from surveyed households and analyzed USING SPSS software version 26, whereas qualitative data were transcribed, grouped, and interpreted in line with the aim of the research. Three food security models, namely the Household Food Balance Model, Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning, and Household Dietary Diversity Score, were employed to evaluate food security. Consequently, a significant percentage of the surveyed households, amounting to 88.3%, 35.6%, and 93.8%, were found to experience food insecurity according to the respective models. Rainfall shortages and variability, crop pests and diseases, shrinking farm plots, and land degradation are among the identified food security determinants. During dearth periods, households deploy a variety of coping and survival strategies. To mitigate food insecurity stemming from both natural and socio-economic factors, the research suggests several recommendations. These include advocating for tenure policy reforms by the GoE, and the local governments should promote the adoption of efficient land management practices, instituting a land certification system based on cadasters, encouraging family planning, boosting investments in education and literacy, raising awareness and providing training in climate-smart agriculture techniques, educating communities on optimal grain utilization, saving, trade, and storage methods, facilitating opportunities for income generation through off-farm and non-farm activities, and offering support for crop and livestock diversification.

Household income and food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in the urban slums of Punjab, Pakistan

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 crisis has not only increased socio-economic inequalities globally but it also severely affected people's everyday lives. This study explores the impacts of COVID-19 on household income, food security, and food consumption patterns in the urban slums of Punjab, Pakistan. Using a multistage random sampling method, cross-sectional data was collected from 257 households through face-to-face interviews. Respondents were chosen randomly applying the random walk method. The data were analysed using Probit regression models. The household food security situation was estimated using the food insecurity experience scale (HFIES) developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Results show that household income and food security situations during the COVID-19 pandemic were significantly affected by education level, household size, daily-wage earnings, salaried employment, and household income slot-I. Household participation in social safety programs appears to help mitigate income shocks and decrease food insecurity. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, 73.92% and 54.86% of the surveyed households faced income shocks and worsened food security, respectively. The consumption of meat, poultry products, and seafood decreased by 21.01%, 17.50%, and 14.39%, respectively, during the pandemic, in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. The study recommends that authorities should consider continuously focusing on supporting existing national social safety programs and designing new ones by providing responsive packages during such adversities. Further, structuring robust financial institutions to aid business recovery and to ensure the availability of food to marginalised communities, particularly in urban slums, could sustain the masses.

Rural household food security status and its determinants in Libokemkem woreda of the Amhara region, North Western Ethiopia

The study analyses the household food security situation in Libokemkem woreda of the Amhara region in Ethiopia using 285 randomly selected sample households. The Household Calorie Acquisition (HCA) is used to measure the diet quantity aspect of food insecurity, and 225 kg/year/AE is used as a food security threshold. The Household Diet Diversity Score (HHDDS) is used to measure the diet quality aspect of food insecurity, and consuming four food groups is used as a food security line. Approximately 83 per cent of the total households achieved minimum food security status in terms of diet quantity, and 64 per cent were food secure in terms of diet quality. Determinants of food security in terms of diet quantity and quality were analysed using Tobit and logit regression models, respectively. Sex, family size, farm size, number of oxen, expenditure on agricultural technology, agroecology zone and distance from market centre are statistically significant determinants of food security in terms of diet quantity. On the other hand, sex, education status, off-farming activities, livestock ownership and agroecology zone are statistically significant determinants of food security in terms of diet quality or diversity. The study suggested the urgency of human capital development, increasing the production and productivity of major cereal crops, and promoting labour-intensive rural employment opportunities to break the vicious circle of poverty and food insecurity. It also suggested the promotion of soil and water conservation, livestock rearing and the use of organic fertiliser in highland areas, while mechanised farming for major crops such as rice, onion, chickpea, tomato and garlic is recommended for midland areas.

Contribution of Fruits and Vegetables to the Household Food Security Situation of Rural Households in Limpopo.

Food insecurity continues to be a burden for many South Africans. The production and consumption of fruits and vegetables have a potential role in improving household food security and are considered one of the critical pathways for reducing food insecurity and malnutrition levels in the country. This paper set out to determine the effect of fruits and vegetables on the food security status of rural households in the Limpopo province. Data (secondary) for this study were collected from 2043 respondents who were selected through stratified random selection based on the population size of the district municipalities in Limpopo. This study used a quantitative research approach, and data were analyzed using a descriptive analysis, the household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS), and a Poisson regression model with an endogenous treatment model. The findings revealed that gender and involvement in agricultural production had a positive significant relationship with the consumption of fruits and vegetables, while disability grants had a negative impact. Age, household size, and receiving a disability grant had a positive significant impact on determining the household food insecurity status; however, gender had a negative significant relationship. This study concluded that the consumption of fruits and vegetables considerably influenced the food security status of the household. There is a need for government officials and local leaders to provide food security interventions that prioritize women and elders. These may include promoting household production and consumption of diversified fruits and vegetables.

Prevalence of household food security in Kenya: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Food is both a basic need and a human right. As such, food security is a critical factor in individual and social health. This study aimed at assessing the pooled prevalence of household food security in Kenya. Relevant studies were systematically searched through manual and electronic searches. We searched databases including; Scopus, Embase, Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library. The Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocol (PRISMA-P) guideline was followed. Heterogeneity of the primary studies was examined using the Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 test. A random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of household food security. The prevalence was determined at a 95% confidence interval with its corresponding odds at a p value of less than 0.05. A total of 15 studies were included. The pooled prevalence of household food security was 22.33% (95% CI: 16.60%-28.06%). Households in an urban setting had a lower (19.28%) food security (95% CI: 12.55%-26.01%) as compared to those in rural settings (25.27%) (95% CI: 16.60%-28.06%). Additionally, those studies conducted post the Sustainable development goals (SDGs) had a higher (24.20%) household food security prevalence (95% CI: 11.49%-36.91%) as compared to those conducted before (21.16%) (95% CI: 14.11%-28.21%). Household food security remains a major concern in the country, particularly in the urban setting. Policymakers and the Government (national and county levels) at large should upscale and accelerate efforts to improve the household food security situation.

An Assessment of the Effects of Climate Change Pattern on Food Security and the Coping Strategies of the Rural Communities in Monze District of Zambia

This research is based on ‘assessing the effects of the changing climate pattern on food security in Monze district of Southern province of Zambia’. Its main purpose was to investigate compatibility issues related to improved crop varieties and how resilient the local community of Monze district in Southern province of Zambia respond to shocks as a result of changes in climate pattern. The study was guided by the following main research question ‘What are some of the compatibility issues related to improved crop varieties and how do indigenous people respond to the effects of climate change in Monze district of Southern part of Zambia?’ Both primary and secondary data were employed to collect the data used for analysis to birth this thesis. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, weight measurement of the U5s, and content analysis. Content analysis is a method of qualitative data analysis. Research participants included: key informants obtained from community leaders as well as officials from the Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives, Ministry of Lands and Natural resources, Ministry of National Planning & Budgeting under the department of Climate Change, women and men drawn from the emerging and small-scale farmers. Relevant literature from books, academic papers, journals, newspapers and the internet were used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to interpret and further explain the facts on changing climate patterns and the security of food. The results show that the district of Monze has been experiencing severe climatic changes making the inhabitants to initiate other several coping mechanisms. On the other hand, the results show that the rural dwellers of Monze district continued for over 3 years experiencing fluid food security (not static) and that 83 percent of this rural district had their food nutrition compromised. This is because most of the rural communities rely more on rain fed agriculture for survival, and in times when food was insecure, they opted to charcoal burning for sale, sending their children to other relatives in big cities for school, men marry several wives as cheap labour and opt to heavy drinking habits. Based on these findings, the study concluded that mean annual temperature and rainfall were not the main determinants of the rural household food security situation in Monze district. To deal with this contribution of effects of climatic change on food security, the study recommends that rural households begin to adopt other crops other than maize that can perform well under the prevailing climatic conditions. It is further recommended that the rural dwellers of Monze district should embark on other alternative ways of livelihoods and also consider running their agriculture enterprises as a business venture (typically for profit).

Harvesting rainwater for food security: farmers' perceptions of the Boardwalk Cisterns Program in Alagoas, Brazil.

Boardwalk Cisterns is a government program that aims to attend a population with precarious access to water in Brazil. Developed as part of the Zero Hunger strategy, it intends to increase food security and contribute to the realization of the human right to food. The objective of this study was to assess farmers' perceptions of the Boardwalk Cisterns program and its impact on the food security situation of beneficiary households. Data were collected through a descriptive cross-sectional quali-quantitative survey. Questionnaires were applied to farming families selected from two municipalities in the state of Alagoas (Northeast Brazil), containing questions on sociodemographic characteristics, production methods, and food security status. The Free Evocation Technique for social representation, analyzed through the software Ensemble of Programs Permettant L'analyze des Évocations, was used to ascertain farmers' perceptions of the program. The study showed a positive perception of the interviewees in relation to the boardwalk cisterns. The program brought some improvement in the agricultural production conditions and, consequently, in the food security situation of the households. Corn, beans and cassava were the most common crops, with almost half of this production (48.3%) destined for consumption by the families themselves. Farmers also reported having more water, allowing them to plant more fruit trees, as well as medicinal and ornamental plants. Nevertheless, 79.1% of the households interviewed were still in a situation of food insecurity, of which 28.1% were classified as mild food insecurity, 26% as moderate food insecurity, and 25% as severe food insecurity. Farmers were correct in their perception that the Boardwalk Cisterns program improved their food security situation. The program resulted in greater access to water, and greater production and consumption of food. However, by itself, the Boardwalk Cisterns program was not enough to raise beneficiary families above their food-insecure status. The program alleviated the problem of food insecurity, but other complementary government interventions are needed to guarantee the food security of families living in extreme poverty.

Assessment of Household Food Security Situation during the Covid-19 Lockdown in Kenya

Food security remains a key challenge in Kenya. A household is considered to be food insecure when they lack physical and economic access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life at all times. In the last six months or so, vulnerability to food insecurity has been exacerbated by the raging effects of COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed the Government of Kenya to impose a partial lockdown in the month of April, 2020, in the counties of Nairobi and Mombasa. This survey sought to assess the effects of the ongoingCOVID-19 lockdown on household food security situation in Kenya. A survey was conducted from June to July 2020 through a structured questionnaire which was administered through online social networks. A total of 444 responses were received, but only 80 were completely filled. Quantitative data were collected on the socio-demographic characteristics, dietary practices and coping strategies based on a set of questions to assess behavioral responses to manage incipient household food shortage. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Descriptive statistics such as mean, percentages and frequencies were carried out; relationships between the variables were assessed using chi-square test, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression. Significance levels were determined at 95 percent confidence interval where a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. The prevalence of low, medium and high dietary diversity scores were 7.5 percent, 17.5 and 75 percent, respectively, implying that the majority of the respondent households were food secure with pockets of food insecure households within the Nairobi Metropolitan region. There was a significant relationship between household dietary diversity and household income source (χ²=7.71, p=0.02), household perceived economic pressure during the COVID-19 lockdown (χ²=20.37, p<0.01), and household perceived ability to meet their food needs (χ²=18.01, p<0.01). Consumption of less preferred and less expensive foods was the most (30 percent) often used coping strategy against food insecurity. The study recommends putting up mitigation strategies to support pockets of food insecure households during lockdowns imposed by state agencies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustainability responses to climate-smart adaptation in Africa: implication for food security among farm households in the Central Region of Ghana

PurposeThe consequences of extreme climatic events that threaten food security have created the urgent need to properly adopt climate-smart adaptation techniques to improve productivity. The study examined the sustainability responses to climate-smart adaptation and the implication it has for explaining the food security situations among farm households in the Central Region of Ghana.Design/methodology/approachWe estimated Heckit treatment effect model to analyse cross-sectional data collected from randomly selected farmers in the Central Region.FindingsAnalysis of farm sustainability index suggests that farmers' agricultural practices in response to climate change are lowly or moderately sustainable. We further found that while majority of the farm households are severely food insecure or food insecure with hunger, only about one-third are food insecure without hunger and the remaining few being food secure. The sustainability of farm practices is being impacted by the farmers’ choice of climate smart adaptation measures at the farm level. Consequently, the farm households' food security situation is found to be improved when sustainable farming practices are employed in the face of managing climate change effects.Practical implicationsConclusions drawn from the study findings give rooms for policy implications that suggest responsibilities for policymakers, farmers and other stakeholders to promote CSA practices in food crop production in Ghana. These policy implications will contribute to improve crop productivity, increase incomes and thus enhance food security among farm families. Awareness campaign about benefits of CSA practices and technologies need to be strengthened among farmers in Ghana by government and NGOs that matter in promoting farm resilience to climate change. Given the important impacts of sustainable farm practices on household food security situation, policies that seek to build the adaptive capacity of farmers to climate vulnerability impacts should take into consideration the sustainability dimensions of the adaptation and mitigation measures to be advocated for use at farm levels.Originality/valueOur paper contributes to literature knowledge on climate-smart adaptation practices effect on food security as evidenced in some recent literature. The paper makes a unique contribution by highlighting the food security implication of the sustainability impact of CSA practices, thereby exploring sustainability as an impact pathway between climate smart adaptations practices and food security in a developing country like Ghana. We approached our study aiming at making new contribution by introducing in the study implementation a quasi-experimental research design which future studies on impacts of climate smart adaptation practices can replicate.

Status of Food Security in Kerman, Iran During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Aim: Food security at individual, family, national, regional and global levels can be achieved when all people at all times have physical and economic access to adequate and healthy food to meet their nutritional needs and priorities for a healthy and active life. This study aims to investigate the status of food security and its related socioeconomic factors in households during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-9) pandemic in Kerman, Iran. Methods &amp; Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 households selected randomly from five comprehensive health centers in five districts of Kerman city in Iran. A demographic/socioeconomic questionnaires and the Persian version of the 18-item USDA Household Food Security Survey (HFSS) were used for collecting data. Ethical Considerations: All ethical principles are considered in this article. The participants were informed about the purpose of the research and its implementation stages. They were also assured about the confidentiality of their information and were free to leave the study whenever they wished, and if desired, the research results would be available to them. Results: There was a significant relationship between the socioeconomic factors (household size, house size, and number of amenities) and the food security. There correlation between the household size and food security was positive (R= 0.142, P&lt;0.001), while the correlation of house size (R= -0.093, P&lt;0.005) and number of amenities (R= -0.73, P&lt;0.001) with food security was negative. Conclusion: By increasing the awareness of people and improving their economic situation, it is possible to improve the food security situation of households in Kerman city.

Food security in Kenya: Insights from a household food demand model

This paper evaluates the household food security situation in Kenya in terms of access to food. We apply a quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS) model to nationally representative household survey data from Kenya, and estimate and interpret price and expenditure elasticities as indicators of household sensitivity to market shocks. Our estimation results show positive expenditure elasticities, close to unity, while all compensated and uncompensated own-price elasticities are negative and smaller in magnitude. A complementary welfare analysis shows high compensated variations in the long run, ranging between 34% and 131% across food groups. This suggests that rising relative food costs have led to deterioration of the food security situation in Kenya, and the most severely affected households seem to be those that rely on informal markets and reside in rural areas. To improve food security, targeted income support could be a more effective policy than price support, given the much higher estimated expenditure elasticities.

Limitations of Inclusive Agribusiness in Contributing to Food and Nutrition Security in a Smallholder Community. A Case of Mango Initiative in Makueni County, Kenya

Food and nutrition security remain at the top of development priorities in low income countries. This is especially the case for smallholder farmers who derive their livelihood from agriculture yet are often the most deprived. Inclusive agribusinesses have been championed as a key strategy to address local constraints that limit smallholders’ participation in regional and global value chains, thereby enhancing their livelihood, and food and nutrition security, accordingly. In this paper, based on a mixed method research approach, we explore the potential food and security contribution of inclusive agribusiness in Makueni county, Kenya. We focus on the smallholders’ constraints and needs, exploring the extent to which these are addressed by such purported pro-poor approach. First, using independent sample t-tests and a probit regression model, we explore who are able to participate in an ongoing intervention. We compare how participants and non-participants differ in terms of key socio-economic characteristics and establish which of these attributes are associated with successful integration into the business. Second, we again use independent sample t-tests to determine how the participants and non-participants compare in terms of their food and nutrition security. The household food and nutrition security is assessed with the conventional measurement tools: the household food insecurity access scale and the household food dietary diversity score. We find that participation in the inclusive agribusiness favors smallholder households with relatively higher production capacity in terms of better physical capital (land and number of mango trees, financial capital), access to loans, and human capital (age, education, and family size). Following income improvement, the participants’ household food security situation is significantly better than for non-participants. However, participation does not improve household dietary diversity, implying that improvement in income does not necessarily lead to better household nutrition security. To address the limitations of inclusive agribusiness, we propose policymakers and development actors to critically explore the contextual background prior to intervention design and implementation, and accordingly devise a broader approach for more inclusivity of the very poor and marginalized, and better food and nutrition security outcomes as a result. Given that not every smallholder could benefit from inclusive agribusiness for their food needs due to resource scarcity, alternative livelihood supports, including social protection programs and safety net plans, should be considered.

Estimation of food and nutritional security in Azerbaijan: A case study of the Ganja-Gazakh region

This paper seeks to estimate household food security situation in the Ganja-Gazakh region of Azerbaijan based on both rural and urban areas of the Ganja-Gazakh region by identifying the food consumption and nutritional security situation of individual households. Primary data was generated from 300 households through simple random sampling. A face to face survey interview was conducted to collect quantitative and qualitative data on food and nutritional security such as availability, access, utilization, and stability. The Dietary intake method (DIA) was applied to estimate the food and nutritional security of households with the help of 7 days’ recall method. The empirical results showed that besides the adequate food availability situation, the problem of malnourishment is still existing among both urban and rural households of Ganja-Gazakh region of Azerbaijan. More than 20 percent of households were found food insecure in the selected region. Likewise, the situation of nutritional security was also estimated. It the study revealed that most of the households were undernourished. The present level of protein, zinc, and iron was low among households. The condition of micro and macronutrients was severe. Based on the findings of this study, there is urgent need for the government to launch short and long term public and private programs to overcome the issue of food and nutritional insecurity rural and urban areas of Azerbaijan.

Urbanization and food security in Buea: an appraisal of household food security situation and resilience in Bolifamba-Buea Cameroon

Cameroon, just like many other Sub-Saharan African countries, is faced with the challenges of rapid urbanization. In the face of these challenges is ensuring food security for many poor urban households. Using Bolifamba as a case study in the Buea Municipality, the aim of this work was to examine the techniques and methods used by urban dwellers in a rapidly urbanizing Buea in ensuring food security. The research gained a deeper appreciation and understanding of the actions, processes, and relationships that interplay in the urban household food environment and result in various food security outcomes by administering standardized questionnaire to household that have made above ten years in the area and carrying out six in-depth household interviews. The results indicated that food security situation in Bolifamba-Buea is complex and diverse. The majority of surveyed households indicated that they had what to eat but often not the kind of food they wanted and they could hardly maintain a steady supply of adequate food for all household members. Keywords: Urbanization, Food security, Household resilience and Household food security

English

Climate change poses an increasing risk to the agricultural sector and the dynamics that underpin food security. It is one of the main driving forces of the current food insecurity problem in Ethiopia and in Amaro ward in particular. The objectives of this study were to: Examine the current household food security situation in Amaro ward of Ethiopia; identify the adaptation mechanisms deployed by residents of the ward in response to the negative effects of climate change; and ascertain the coping strategies of the households in the study area with respect to food insecurity. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study area and 100 sample respondents. Data was collected using structured interview and focus group discussions. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to examine the food security situation. Weighted Average Score (WAS) was used to analyze the adaptation mechanisms to climate change and the coping strategies to food insecurity. The results showed that majority (80%) of the households were food insecure. Majority (93%) of the respondents also utilized adaptation strategies contentedly. However, majority of households (71%) had great difficulty coping with food insecurity while 29% coped with relative ease. Hence, adaptation to climate change and coping with food insecurity are important factors that determine the welfare of households in Amaro ward. Therefore, common indigenous strategies adopted by farmers like replanting, annual crop rotation, regular weeding, change of meal preferences and reduction of the frequency of feeding in the area should be augmented with modern adaptation and coping practices to minimize food insecurity. Key words:&nbsp; Climate change, food insecurity, adaptation mechanisms, Amaro ward, Ethiopia. &nbsp

Food insecurity of rural households in Boset district of Ethiopia: a suite of indicators analysis

BackgroundDespite several efforts made so far to improve the overall food insecurity situation, the challenge is still a major problem in Ethiopia since a long time ago. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the food insecurity situation and identify the determinants among the rural households of Boset district. To this end, 397 household heads were selected through systematic sampling technique from six sample kebeles. In addition, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and personal observations were also used to supplement the survey data. Then, the food insecurity status of households was measured with a suite of indicators.ResultsThe results revealed that 26.5%, 21.7%, and 41.3% of respondents were highly food insecure through Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, and Household Dietary Diversity Score, respectively. On top of these, 56.9%, 46.1%, and 64.0% of the respondents did not have access to water supply, not owned latrine, and dispose waste in an unsafe way, respectively. Furthermore, results from the inferential statistics showed that educational status, farmland size, total annual income, distance from health facilities, and the availability of supporting organizations were positively associated with household food security situation, while access to irrigable land, frequent drought, distance to input/output markets, and distance to road transport were negatively associated.ConclusionFrom the study findings it can be observed that all the dimensions of food (in)security should be focused for effective intervention. More specifically, those determinants with both positive and negative associations with food security may deserve the attention of the local authorities. Similarly, there is a need for a reorientation of an approach which is beyond a quick and simple fix. Besides, an integration of efforts between different sectors at both local and national levels is sought to bring a lasting solution to food insecurity.

Land Access and Household Food Security in Kpomassè District, Southern Benin: A Few Lessons for Smallholder Agriculture Interventions

Land remains a key asset in smallholder agriculture, and is expected to play a critical contribution to food security, still a major concern for decision makers. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between land access mechanisms and the food security situation of households in Kpomassè district (southern Benin). A survey was conducted among 150 farmers selected randomly in six villages across the district. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, access to land and food consumption patterns of the households. Data analysis encompassed a typology of households according to their access to land, by combining Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis. The level of household food security was assessed by computing the food consumption score. Three types of producers were identified based on their access to land. These were typified as “renters”, “borrowers” and “heirs”, representing 44%, 21%, and 35% of the sample, respectively. The average food consumption score ranged between 51.9 and 57.4, showing a satisfactory food intake for all types of households. The study suggests that secure modes of access to land might improve the food security status of households through increased assets. Also, there is a need of capacity building for farmers, in order to address the critical issue of the impoverishment of soil, through fertility management programs. The issue of access to credit is also an important policy matter.

Agro-industrialisation and food security: dietary diversity and food access of workers in Cameroon’s palm oil sector

ABSTRACT This article investigates the impacts of industrialisation processes in the agricultural sector of sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on findings from a household survey in Cameroon’s palm oil sector, it examines local food systems and compares the household food security situation of salaried workers in industrialised agricultural production sites with that of traditional smallholders. Results indicate divergent levels of dietary diversity and food access in plantation workers’ camps. Most wage earners continue to engage in subsistence farming as a coping mechanism. Governance implications to ensure food security for agro-industry employees are discussed.

Assessment of Rural Women's Use of Food Security Information in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

ABSTRACTThis study investigated rural women's use of food security information in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. A greater proportion (56.1%) of the women were classified as low users of food security information. Mass media exposure (t = 4.38; p = .000) and market distance (t = −2.02; p = .049) significantly influenced rural women's use of food security information. The study recommends that identified constraints to the use of food security information be addressed so as to improve the household food security situation.