Household Food Security Status Research Articles

Agroforestry and Household Food Security Status among Small-Scale Farmers in Kubo South and Samburu Wards of Kwale County, Kenya

This study investigated the contributions of agroforestry to household food security in Kwale County. The study objectives were to determine the status of agroforestry, the status of household food security, and the relationship between agroforestry and household food security. Descriptive cross-sectional survey research design was applied, with multistage sampling procedure, which comprised of purposive and random sampling for selection of the study sites and respondents from different villages in Kubo south and Samburu wards, Kwale County. The sample size for the study comprised of 270 smallholders and 10 key informants. The study used a combination of instruments, namely, structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, observation, and interview schedules. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to test relationship between agroforestry and household food security. The study found that 14.1 % were food secure, 2.96 % households mildly food insecure, 54.81 % were moderately food insecure and 27.41 % were severely food insecure. Majority of farmers practice agrosilvopastoral system of agroforestry due to the multiplicity of social, economic, and environmental benefits they derive from it. The results further indicated that challenges facing agroforestry farmers include poor access to credit, inadequate extension services, wildlife destruction, pests and diseases, and inadequate markets for agroforestry products. The study concludes that there is high level of food insecurity among smallholder farmers and recommends concerted efforts by county and national governments to intensify the practice of agroforestry, improvement of access to inputs for agroforestry, allocate more land for agroforestry practice, proper tree species selection, adoption of best agroforestry practices based on research, and suitable tree planting arrangements for improved household food security.

COVID-19 Impact on Household Food Security in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas of Hyderabad, India.

This paper investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security and on coping-strategies in urban and peri-urban areas of the Hyderabad, India. Household survey data were collected before (October 2018) and during (January 2021) the onset of the pandemic. Results from logistic regression with the standarized Food Insecurity Expecience Scale (FIES) as dependent variable reveal that close to 40% of the households surveyed experienced a deterioration in food security status during the pandemic. In particular, we find that food security is closely related to the sector of employment in which the primary income- earning member of a household is engaged. To mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their food security, our sampled households adopted a variety of consumption-smoothing strategies including availing credit from both formal and informal sources, and liquidating their savings. Compared to households with severe or moderate level of food insecurity, households facing a mild level of food insecurity relied on stored food as a strategy to smoothen consumption in response to the income shock imparted by the pandemic. In addition, the results indicate that urban households, who adopted similar coping strategies as those adopted by peri-urban households, tended to be more food-insecure. Finally, the duration of unemployment experienced during the pandemic significantly influenced the status of household food security. These findings can inform the formulation of immediate and medium-term policy responses, including social protection policies conductive to mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and ameliorating the governance of urban food security during unexpected events and shocks.

"Rural Households Food Expenditure Pattern and Food Security Status in Nigeria"

"Rural Households Food Expenditure Pattern and Food Security Status in Nigeria"

Food security and its determinants

Andhra Pradesh is one of the largest states in India in terms of population. But, food insecurity is of common phenomenon both in developed and developing states. The present paper endeavors to study household food security and its determinants in south coastal region (Guntur district), Andhra Pradesh. A primary survey was conducted with structured schedules to collect data from 200 sample BPL households based on random sampling technique. The data was analyzed through multiple regression technique. The result showed that age, agricultural land, number of earners in the family, caste category, income group and education have a positive relationship with household food security status. Similarly, variables such as family size, marital status and type of ration card are negatively correlated with household food security status. The study found 55.9 percent of the variations in food security index are explained by the explanatory variables in south coastal region (Guntur district), Andhra Pradesh.

Determinants of Rural Household Food Security Status in North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

Food insecurity is one of the most serious problems in developing countries, especially in Ethiopia. Therefore, it is important to understand the barriers to improving the state of food security in the country. Thus, this study aims to investigate the determinants of food security of rural households in the North Shewa zone in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. A sample of 796 farm households was considered. This paper used the calorie intake method per day to measure household food security status and a logit model to investigate the determinants of food security. The results show that family size, age of the household head, educational level of the head, off-farm activities, monthly income of the household, and distance from the market are the major determinants of rural household food security in the North Shewa Zone. The findings suggest that expanding the access to education in farm households, expanding the access to off-farm activities to increase household income, and expanding market access to farm households are important to improve rural food security status in the study area.

Change in Employment Status Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, SNAP Participation, and Household Food Insecurity among Black and Latino Adults in Illinois.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in record-high unemployment rates. Black and Latino adults experienced disproportionately higher rates of unemployment. We aimed to examine associations between pandemic-related employment status change and household food insecurity among an economically diverse sample of Black and Latino adults in Illinois during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, we evaluated the significance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation to determine if it modified associations. We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from 1,809 Black and Latino adults in two waves: May 2020 and June/July 2020. Participants listed their change in employment status as “lost job entirely”, “employed, but paid hours reduced”, “employed, but anticipate job lost”, or “no change”. Participants self-reported their SNAP status and completed the USDA’s six item U.S. Food Security Module to report household food security status. We used logistic regression to assess the significance of associations after controlling for socio-demographics. Approximately 15.5% of participants lost their job entirely, 25.2% were SNAP participants, and 51.8% reported low food security (LFS). All changes in employment were significantly associated with increased odds of LFS after adjusting for socio-demographics. SNAP participants who lost their job had higher odds of LFS (OR: 4.69; 95% CI: 2.69–8.17) compared to non-participants who lost their job (OR: 2.97; 95%: 1.95–4.52). In summary, we observed strong associations between changes in employment and household food insecurity, particularly among SNAP participants, which underscores the pandemic’s impact on low-income and minority populations.

The invisible crisis: the determinants of local food insecurity in Gauteng municipalities, South Africa

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to estimate the determinants of household food insecurity in the Gauteng City-Region, South Africa. This is motivated by the fact that food insecurity remains a key challenge at the household level in South Africa. Furthermore, the Gauteng Province has been rapidly urbanising due to a migrant influx, both locally and internationally. The findings will assist the country in achieving its mandate on the local economic development policy, Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a quantitative cross-section design, utilising the binary logistic regression technique, drawing on the Gauteng City-Region Observatory Quality of Life 2020/2021 data, consisting of 13,616 observations, randomly drawn from nine municipalities in Gauteng City-Region.FindingsThe main findings of the study highlight unemployment, health status, education, household size, indigency and income as the main determinants of food insecurity in Gauteng City-Region. Policies towards sustainable urban agriculture, improving access to education, increasing employment and income, and health for all can help improve the food insecurity status of households in the Gauteng City-Region.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies would require an in-depth assessment of household coping mechanisms, as well as the influence of household income (notably government social grants) and access to credit on household food security status, to better understand the dynamics of food security in the Gauteng City-Region.Practical implicationsDeterminants of food insecurity should be considered when developing and implementing policies to reduce food insecurity in urban municipalities.Social implicationsThe study is of interest as it interdicts food insecurity issues, which have an effect on socio-economic well-being.Originality/valueThe study adds value by providing evidence on the determinants of food insecurity in an urban setting in a developing country. Gauteng is the richest of all provinces in South Africa and is also at the receiving end of internal and international migration. Factors affecting food insecurity have changed in the nine cities. This compromises nutrition safety and calls for targeted policy interventions.

Determinants of food security among rural households of the Mopani District Municipality, Limpopo Province of South Africa

Regardless of the several measures implemented by the South African government to curb food insecurity, majority of rural households are still experiencing food insecurity at a provincial level in Limpopo Province. This could be because of the high unemployment rate that the rural households are experiencing at a provincial level. As many of the rural households’ members went as far as obtaining tertiary education, most individuals still find it difficult to secure jobs and this results to many rural households depending on social grants for a living. In addition, social grant money alone does not become enough to meet their entire families’ food needs. The study was conducted at Mopani district municipality. Multistage sampling procedure was used, and the villages were selected based on probability proportionate to size. Thus, making the total of 173 rural households. The objectives of the study were to profile the socio-economic characteristics of rural households and to identify food security status of rural households and to determine factors that influence food security among rural households. To analyse the data, Household food insecurity access scale, descriptive statistics and Multinomial logistic regression model were used. From the findings of the study, the results revealed that majority of rural households in Mopani district municipality were found to be moderate to severe food insecure.

Exploring the Food (In)Security Status of Suburban Households and Its Determinants during COVID-19

Household food insecurity in South African suburban low-income households is a major challenge. Research outcomes that will inform decisions on effective solutions towards reducing household food insecurity in South Africa are essential. The purpose of this study was firstly to determine the food security status of households and the skills of household members in Ward 60 of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. Secondly, it was also to determine the association between the socioeconomic and demographic variables of the households and their level of food (in-)security. The study employed a mixed method of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, comprising a qualitative Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) methodology and a quantitative household food security survey methodology. A household food security survey was employed using a questionnaire that was based on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). The questionnaire was used to collect data from 170 randomly selected households. The data analysis used the HFIAS score and logistic regression analysis. The results show 6.1% of households as food secure, 3.05% as mildly food insecure, 13.4% as moderately food insecure, and 77.4% as severely food insecure. The results also show that a significant unemployment rate, a reliance on social grants, and absence of income seriously impact the extent of household food insecurity. The results show a significant association between the household food security and the variables of unemployment, income, and gender. The regression analysis results suggest that gender, household size, age, employment, and household income influence household food security. The results of the household skills show that the households had a variety of skills. These results can help to inform decisions by the government, local municipalities, NGOs, and other stakeholders towards designing effective solutions for enhancing household food security.

Gıda Güvencesi Düzeyi Sınıflandırılmasında Kullanılan Önemli Göstergelerin Random Forest Yöntemine Göre Belirlenmesi

Seasonal agricultural workers are the most disadvantaged group of work forces in terms of poverty even though they are significant contributors to the agricultural economy in Turkey. The objectives of this study were to determine the food security status of seasonal agricultural workers and to determine the most important variables in the classification of household food security status for the seasonal agriculture workers. Responses of seasonal apricot workers in Malatya to 18 questions of the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) were analyzed using the Random Forests (RF) algorithm (n = 65). Results indicated that 55.4% of households suffered from food insecurity, where 7.7% of them with moderate hunger and 13.8% of them with severe hunger. The area under curve value of the RF model was estimated at 0.846 as the classification accuracy. The question “running out of food before having money to buy more” was the most important variable in the classification of the food security groups. Seasonal agricultural workers are prone to food insecurity and poverty due to low income and job insecurity in Turkey and in the world. Therefore, it is important to implement social aid programs to solve food insecurity issue in risk groups like seasonal agricultural workers.

Impact of value chain participation on household food insecurity among smallholder vegetable farmers in Swayimane KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa has largely been characterized as food secure at the national level but food insecure at a household level. This paper explores the impact of value chain participation on food insecurity among smallholder farmers in Swayimane KwaZulu-Natal. Purposive sampling technique was used to sample 51 smallholder vegetable farmers who were value chain participants at various levels. The study uses the Household Food Insecurity Access scale (HFIAS) and the Instrumental Variable Poisson model to assess the household food security status and the factors that influence the food security status among the smallholder farmers. The results show that 66.7% of the farmers in the sample were food secure, 17.65% were mildly food insecure, 7.84% were moderately food insecure and 7.84% were severely food insecure. Value chain participation, age of the household head, marital status, formal education, farm income, lease rent on land, access to NGOs, access to agricultural agency, access to credit, access to television, access to extension services and access to an irrigation scheme were significant in impacting household food insecurity. The study concluded that participation in value chains was significant in reducing food insecurity among smallholder farmers in Swayimane and therefore, strategies focusing on enhancing value chain participation among farmers should be adopted along with interventions that enhance value chain participation among smallholder farmers. As empirically posited by the results of this study, the more households are involved in the vegetable value chain, the better the household food intake and food security they become.

Are home gardening programs a sustainable way to improve nutrition? Lessons from a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Rufiji, Tanzania

Homestead food production (HFP) programs may improve diet and nutrition outcomes by increasing availability of nutrient dense foods such as vegetables and supporting livelihoods. We conducted a pair-matched cluster-randomized controlled trial to investigate whether vegetable home gardens could improve women’s dietary diversity, household food security, maternal and child iron status, and the probability of women consuming nutrient-rich food groups. We enrolled 1006 women of reproductive age (18–49 years) in ten villages in Pwani Region, Eastern Tanzania, matched the villages into pairs according to village characteristics, and randomly allocated villages to intervention or control. Households in the intervention villages received agricultural training, inputs to promote home production of nutritious crops, and nutrition and health education. Data were collected in 2016, 2017, and 2019 and analyzed using linear regression models with propensity score weighting adjusting for individual-level confounders, differential loss to follow-up, and fixed effects for village pairs to accommodate the pair-matched design. Results after one year of the intervention (previously published) found significant improvements in dietary diversity. However, three years after the start of the intervention the difference in dietary diversity disappeared, even though the number of women who grew at least one crop was significantly higher (75 percentage points, 95% CI: 72, 81) in treatment households compared to controls. Barriers to maintaining a home garden, including lack of irrigation opportunities and fencing materials, and social disruption may have precluded sustained impacts from home gardening in this context. Future home garden programs should carefully consider mechanisms and investments needed for sustained impact over time.

Household Food Insecurity Is Associated with Symptoms of Emotional Dysregulation in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: The MADDY Study.

The association of household food insecurity with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and emotional dysregulation in children was examined in this study. We utilized baseline data from 134 children aged 6–12 years who were enrolled in a clinical trial investigating multinutrient supplementation as a treatment for ADHD and emotional dysregulation. Household food security status was assessed using the 18-item US Household Food Security Survey Module. The symptoms of ADHD and emotional dysregulation disorders (oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)) were assessed using the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory-5 and other comorbid emotional dysregulation symptoms were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Multiple linear regression determined associations between household food security status and symptoms of ADHD, ODD and DMDD, emotional symptoms and conduct problems. Household food insecurity was associated with more severe emotional symptoms (β = 2.30; 95% CI = 0.87–3.73; p = 0.002), conduct problems (β = 1.15; 95% CI = 0.01–2.30; p = 0.049) and total difficulties scores (β = 4.59; 95% CI = 1.82–7.37; p = 0.001) after adjusting for covariates (child’s sex, parent marital status, household income, parental anxiety and other parental psychopathology). In unadjusted analyses, household food insecurity was also associated with increased ODD (β = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.21–0.95; p = 0.003) and DMDD symptoms (β = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.20–1.19; p = 0.006), but these associations attenuated to non-significance after adjusting for all covariates. Household food insecurity was associated with more severe emotional dysregulation symptoms. Discussing and addressing food insecurity may be appropriate initial steps for youths with ADHD and emotional dysregulation.

Household Food Insecurity is a Predictor of Acute Malnutrition but Not Chronic Malnutrition among Children (6-59 Months Old): A Cross-Sectional in Tamale South Constituency

Background: The influence of household food insecurity on poor child growth has been widely studied. However, there is a lack of clarity in such relationships therefore, more studies are required. Hence, the present study evaluated household food insecurity and sciodemographic determinants of undernutrition in young children (6-59 months old) in Ghana. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tamale South using 240 mother-child pairs. Mothers and their children (6-59 months old) were recruited from child welfare clinics within the Constituency. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Child anthropometric data were measured (weight and height/length) based on World Health Organization’s prescribed procedures. Child anthropometric Z-scores for the determination of acute and chronic malnutrition were generated using WHO Anthroplus 1.0.4. Household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) was used to estimate household food insecurity. Binary logistics regression models were run using Statistical Product and Service Solutions version 24.0 to estimate the odds of acute and chronic malnutrition following the independent variables (HFIAS and sciodemographic factors). Results: The prevalence of acute malnutrition (wasting) was 7.5%. Also, the prevalence of chronic malnutrition (stunting) was 29.2%. In multiple binary logistics regressions model, there was a significant relationship between higher scores of HFIAS and the odds of acute malnutrition [1.34(1.07-1.68); P=0.010]. In the study, children aged 6-23 months had lower odds for chronic malnutrition [0.36 (1.20-0.66); P=0.001] compared with their colleagues (24-59 months old). Conclusions: In the study, we found a medium and a high prevalence of acute and chronic malnutrition, respectively. Also, HFIAS was a significant predictor of acute malnutrition but not chronic malnutrition. Further, children less than 24 months old compared with those aged 24-59 months old had lower odds for chronic malnutrition. To reduce the odds for acute malnutrition, nutrition and health authorities in the Tamale South Constituency ought to intensify education on strategies to increase household food security status.

Determinants of Food Security Status and Coping Strategies among Rice Farmers in Kebbi State, Nigeria

This study evaluated the food security status of rice farmers in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Data were generated from a sample of 120 rice farmers using multi-stage random sampling technique. Descriptive statistic, Food security index and Logistic regression models were used for the analysis. The results revealed that 36.7% were food secured while 63.3% were food insecure. The results revealed that the coefficient of age, gender, household size and farm size were statistically significant and positively influence food security status of rice farming households at 10%, 1%, 5%, and 1% level of probability, respectively. Based on the findings, it is recommended that government should improve on education and sensitize rice farmers regarding family planning since household size worsens the food security status of rice farming households. There is the need to increase the volume of food production as well as improve access to income generating activities that are more sustainable. Policies aimed at providing farm inputs at subsidize rate will motivate farming households and also increase their productivity.

Livelihood Diversification and Its Impact on Household Food Security among Farming Households in Kalu Wereda, South Wollo, Ethiopia

Diversifying livelihoods is one of the key strategies often adopted to tackle the challenge of food insecurity. This study analyzed the existing livelihood strategies pursued by the smallholder farmers and their impact on the food security status of farm households in Kalu Wereda, South Wollo Zone in Ethiopia. Thereby two-stage sampling procedure was employed to draw 246 rural households randomly as study participants. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources using interview schedules, key informants, and Focus Group Discussion. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric models. The survey result indicates that much of the rural households (62.22%) in the study area practice diversified livelihood strategies that combined on-farm activities with non/off-farm activities. Results from Propensity Score Matching shows that livelihood diversification brought a positive impact on households' food security status. It can be concluded that livelihood diversification can have a positive impact on rural households' food security status. Thus, it is advisable to encourage rural households' participation in different livelihood activities in addition to agriculture through facilitating credit services and creating market linkage for smallholder farmers in the study area. Keywords: livelihood diversification; food security; propensity score matching, Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/JESD/13-5-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2022

An Empirical Investigation of Food Security Status in Urban Households in Niger-Delta, Nigeria

The Niger Delta has been faced with the problem of food insecurity which affected the living standard of the people in the region. This study therefore examined the status of food security in urban households in the Niger Delta region. In order to achieve this aim, a survey research was conducted involving the use of questionnaires. A multistage sampling technique was used to determine the sample size of 240 respondents from 12 communities in 6 local government areas spread across Edo and Delta states. Binary Logistic regression model and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) were used to analyze the data obtained from the questionnaires. The findings reveal that 49.51% of the sampled households are food secure while 50.49% of the households are food insecure. In addition, Household size, Educational Status of the household head and Household Income were identified to be the determinant of household food security status in the sampled region. The study therefore recommends that government promotes agricultural education and provide support especially to low income households in the study area, which will in turn encourage households to participate in food gardening/farming activities as a source of generating extra income given that household income was identified to be the most significant determinant of urban food security.

Socioeconomic determinants of rural households’ food security status in Northern Ghana

National aggregate data to analyze food security status at the national level has often been used in many countries including Ghana to determine food security status. This has been a reason that many interventions that have had minimum or no impact on households’ food security status due to variation within region in the design of such interventions. This study used household level-data data from 2260 rural households to determine rural household food insecurity status, and also identify and analyze the socioeconomic factors that significantly influence rural household level food insecurity. The study used the Food Consumption Score (FCS) as the index for household food security status. An ordinal logit model was used to predict household food security status with respect to twelve explanatory variables. The results showed that 70% of the sampled rural households were food insecure, and in particular, food insecurity was found to be more pronounced among female-headed households. The results further showed that improved education, increased household income, improved access to agricultural credit and large farm size increase the probability of households to attain high food security status. On the other hand, high food prices and large household size were found to reduce the probability of households to attain high food security status. For policy implication, these micro-level factors need to be considered in the implementation of food insecurity interventions programs in order to achieve desired outcomes.

Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Security and Access to Social Protection Programs in the Philippines: Findings From a Telephone Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey.

This study assessed the status and factors that affected the food security of Filipino households and their access to social protection programs and coping mechanisms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the Philippines. A rapid nutrition assessment survey through telephone interview was conducted on November 3 to December 3, 2020, among households covered in the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) to compare the status of household food security before and during the pandemic. A total of 9 provinces and highly urbanized areas were selected as study sites based on risk to COVID-19 infection categorized as low, medium, and high. A total of 5717 households with contact numbers participated in the study. Results showed that almost two-thirds (62.1%) of the households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity when strict community quarantines started. The increase in the proportion of moderate to severe food insecurity was higher in the low- and medium-risk areas of COVID-19 infection than in high-risk areas (P < .05). The poorest households were 1.7 times more likely to become moderate to severely food insecure compared to middle-income households. No money to buy food (22.1%) was the top concern of food-insecure households. Purchasing food on credit, borrowing food from family, and loans from relatives and friends are the top coping strategies of food-insecure households. The results imply the need to extend assistance equitably to households and areas with fewer resources and minimal or no benefactors.

Determinants of food security status of household in Central and North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Determinants of food security status of household in Central and North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia