Improving Household Food Research Articles

Household Food Security and Stunting of Under-Five Children in Indonesia: A Systematic Review

Inadequate access to food at home contributes to growth retardation in childhood. Under-five children who suffer from stunting have problems in their growth and development owing to a lack of nutrients over an extended period of time. This study aimed to analyzed the relationship between household food security and stunting prevalence. This study uses a systematic review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Seven electronic databases are used: PubMed, ProQuest, MDPI, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Portal Garuda. This research was based on studies conducted in Indonesia and published between 2013 and 2023. For the final result, sixteen articles were included. Household food security has a positive correlation with the stunting of under-five children in Indonesia. Moreover, households with food insecurity had a greater risk of stunting. A household is said to be food-secure when access to food is fulfilled by all family members. From this systematic review, the government is expected to formulate policies and strategies to improve household food security and the nutritional status of children under the age of five. To accomplish these efforts, coordination between sectors is required to accelerate and strengthen the implementation of these policies and strategies.

Integrating vegetables in push-pull technology systems: gendered preferences of smallholder farmers in western Kenya

Transformative rural smallholder agriculture addressing biophysical constraints requires farmer-led innovations for increased technology adoption. Following the need to further intensify the cereal push-pull technology (PPT) for pest and weed control through integration with vegetables, we conducted surveys to determine suitable vegetables across three different counties in Kenya namely Homabay, Siaya, and Trans-Nzoia. Farming in these areas is predominantly maize based and introducing vegetables to the system will improve household food and nutritional security, together with income. A systematic random sampling method was used to sample a total of 124 smallholder farmers who were interviewed during field days where farmer awareness of technology was mobilised. Descriptive results showed kale (47%) and black nightshade (30%) were the most preferred high-value vegetables for integration into push-pull plots in these regions. This was followed by cowpea (15%), onion (6%) and tomato (2%) underlying the wide range of farmer preferences and priorities. There were also gender differences in vegetable preferences with men preferring capital intensive and high value vegetables, while women preferred traditional vegetables. Results from multinomial logit model revealed that age of the farmer, education level, gender, and farming experience were determinants of smallholder farmers’ vegetable preferences for integration into the PPT plots. The contribution of these determinants to farmer preferences varied across different vegetables where the contribution of the market value of the vegetable in selection diminished with while the effect of farmers’ age. Overall, male farmers preferred capital-intensive and market-oriented vegetables in compared to their female counterparts. We conclude that gender and geographic location play a pivotal role in farmers` crop selection for integration in the PPT. Targeted awareness creation pathways accounting for these factors will be critical for wider adoption of the PPT. Key words: Food security, Multinomial Logistic Regression Model, Participatory rural appraisal, Sustainable agricultural intensification, Technology adoption

Small-scale dairy farming and women’s empowerment: insights from Pabna district in Bangladesh

This study focusedon the effects of ruralwomen'sinvolvementindairyfarmingasameansoferadicatingpoverty inBangladesh'sruralcommunities for the empowerment of women in some selected areas of the Pabna district of Bangladesh. Dairy farming is a critical component of the agricultural sector and women's participation in the sector has increased in recent years. To illustrate the effect of rural women in social empowerment, the sample was chosen from the households of thePabna district that were actively involved in dairy farming. 50 households from the study were randomly selectedfor data collection. To illustrate the frequency distribution at various category levels of variables, straightforward percentages were produced. Rural women were able to boost their self-esteem, expandtheirsocialnetworks,andeventuallyincreasetheirlevelofempowermentthrough small-scale dairying, which also gave them more control over their family and personal care decisions. Another purpose of the study was to investigate the causes of this trend as well as the advantages that women experience from it. Using a combination of field surveys, interviews, and literature review, the study analyzed the gender dynamics of dairy farming and identified best practices for promoting women's empowerment in the sector. The findings suggest that dairy farming can serve as a viable livelihood option for women in Pabna, providing them with opportunities for income generation and improving household food security. Furthermore, increased participation in dairy farming has led to improved gender equality and social inclusion, highlightingthe sector's potential for promoting women's empowerment in the region. Consequently, the expansion of small-scale dairying into different rural areas of Bangladesh is likely to contribute to the empowerment of these women and combat poverty.

Effects of the agricultural food security pack programme in Zambia: the case of Mpulungu District

Agricultural food programmes are one of the means to improve household food security for vulnerable small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In Zambia, household food insecurity is entrenched among small-scale farmers. Despite the implementation of the food security pack programme by the Zambian government, there is scanty scientific information on the performance of the programme. The study reviewed the effects of the food security pack programme on land cultivation and maize crop productivity in Mpulungu district using a mixed-methods design. Using a simple random sampling and Slovin’s Formula, 147 beneficiaries and 152 non-beneficiaries were selected as questionnaire respondents. The study purposely selected two government officials, one traditional leader, and five focus groups for interviews and focus group discussions. Descriptive data were generated using SPSS and content analysis. The study revealed that 66% of the beneficiaries, cultivated between a quarter (0.25) and half (0.50) a hectare compared to the non-beneficiaries, whose 61% cultivated less than a quarter (<0.25) hectare. Similarly, 70.1% of the beneficiaries, harvested more than 20 (50kg) bags of maize grain on average, per 0.25 hectares of land compared to 8% of the non-beneficiaries for three farming seasons reviewed. The land cultivated by the beneficiaries had a larger mean (M ₌ 2.00) than the land cultivated by the non-beneficiaries (M ₌ 1.59). Maize crop productivity by the beneficiaries had a larger mean (M ₌ 4.25) than the non-beneficiaries (M ₌ 2.45). There was a statistically significant difference in land cultivation and maize crop productivity between the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, with the former having more land cultivated and higher maize crop productivity than the latter. Administrative challenges in programme implementation were noticed. Farming inputs were received late and outside the planting period due to the centralised purchase system despite the beneficiaries performing better than the non-beneficiaries. Funds for the purchase of agricultural inputs were released late by the Zambian government. The study concluded that the food security pack programme had a significant positive effect on land cultivation and maize crop production for benefiting households. The study recommends decentralisation of the supply of farming inputs to the districts for timely delivery to the beneficiaries, increasing the number of beneficiaries, and timely release of funds for the purchase of farming inputs by the Zambian government. Key words: Agriculture, food security, small-scale farmer, empowerment, vulnerable farmers

Women empowerment in agriculture and its effect on household food security: evidence from Gamo Zone of Southern Ethiopia

BackgroundWomen empowerment and food security are supposed to be two mutually reinforcing goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda of the United Nations. However, the measurement of women’s empowerment and its relationship with household food security in the agricultural context is too limited, especially in Ethiopia. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of women’s empowerment in agriculture on household food security in the Gamo zone of Ethiopia.MethodsCross-sectional data were collected from 385 dual-adult households, selected through a multistage random sampling procedure from two districts—Chencha and Kucha of Gamo zone in Ethiopia. The data were collected on the sample households’ demographic, socioeconomic, women empowerment, food consumption and livelihood activities—crop production, livestock holding and off-farm participation by interviewing both primary male and female decision-makers from each household. Household food security was measured using Calorie Availability, Household Food Consumption and Dietary Diversity Score, while women’s empowerment in agriculture was measured using the Abbreviated Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Ordinary Least Square, Two-Stage Least Square, Poisson and Instrumental Variable Poisson regression were used as analytical models.ResultsOur study shows that increases in women’s empowerment are positively and significantly associated with all food security indicators—adult equivalent calorie availability, household-level food consumption and dietary diversity. The result also shows that food security is positively related to the proportion of adult household members, age and education of primary female, landholding size, crop diversification, food crop production, the number of dairy cows owned and off-farm participation. However, food security is negatively related to household size.ConclusionThe implication of the finding is that stakeholders should give due attention to promoting women’s empowerment and eliminating the gender gap in agriculture through appropriate gender mainstreaming intervention in dual-adult households. Food security programmes could also gain from prioritizing female education and promoting agricultural diversification (crop and livestock) and off-farm income diversification strategies as valuable investments to improve household food security. This study is the first application of the Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index in Ethiopia as a predictor to household food security, and contributes to the women’s empowerment–household food security nexus literature in developing countries.

Can women’s empowerment in livestock farming improve household food security? Empirical evidence from rural households in Malawi

BackgroundOver the years the Government of Malawi has launched several initiatives to improve food security in the country. Despite these efforts there have been limited improvements in food security, raising the spectre of persistently elevated levels of food insecurity. Efforts to reduce food insecurity may involve women who play a central role in the production, processing, preparation and control of vital livestock products for food security. However, women’s ability to achieve food security is limited by their lack of access to productive resources and limited ability to participate in decision-making. The main objective of this study is to estimate the impact of women’s empowerment in household livestock production and marketing decisions on household food security.MethodsThis study uses data from a proportionate random sample of 400 households in two major livestock producing Extension Planning Areas in the Nsanje district to estimate the relationship between women’s empowerment and household food security in rural households in Malawi.ResultsTobit regression results show that the empowerment of women in the livestock sector, especially in decisions pertaining to agricultural production, nutrition, and income control, improves household food security. In addition, factors such as household income, household size, and the main occupation of the household head play a significant role in ensuring household food security.ConclusionThe results suggest that nutrition-sensitive programmes should target women’s agency in livestock production and nutrition decisions for improved food security among rural households in Malawi. As part of their food security strategy, Government of Malawi could develop programs to sensitize households on the importance of enhancing women’s agency in agriculture and nutrition decision-making, while also providing targeted income-support for women.

Sustainable intensification and food security: A panel data assessment of the smallholder maize farmers in Uganda

Food security is touted as an essential condition for social growth. Yet, the food deficit is rampant among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Besides, farm productivity is considered the theme for improving household food security outcomes. As one of the sub-Saharan African countries, Uganda is affected by food insecurity caused by the declining availability of cropped farmland. Sustainable intensification (SI) is a critical farming practice that enhances crop yield and reduces environmental degradation. However, there is scanty empirical evidence on if farming practices contributing to sustainable intensification can improve the household livelihood and food security. In this research, we used multinomial endogenous treatment effects and a balanced Uganda National Panel Survey to evaluate the impacts of SI technologies on maize farming households' livelihood and food security. We ranked households into four groups depending on the inputs and soil management practices they use on their maize farms, namely “non-adopters”, intensification group”, “sustainable group”, and “sustainable intensification group”. The multinomial endogenous treatment effect (METE) model's findings suggested using the SI cluster is associated with improved food consumption score, household dietary diversity score, and per capita expenditure using non-adopters as the baseline group. Further, these improvements are determined by combining maize-legume intercrop and inorganic fertilizer practices. The results indicate that experts and researchers should espouse multidimensional and all-inclusive technological evaluation methods instead of conservative reductionists methods that concentrate on a solo farming practice at a time. Also, the findings can guide the sustainable vector that highlights and strengthens all-inclusive agricultural growth with policymakers and scientists working with marginalized farmers.

Traditional and Western knowledge systems used by smallholders: Harnessing synergies for improved household food security in rural Ghana

ABSTRACT The discourse on knowledge integration persists in research and development practice. The need for traditional and Western knowledge systems to work together to achieve sustainable agricultural development in Ghana’s rural areas has become evermore relevant to achieve household food security in the context of changing climate, declining soil fertility, and labour challenges. The authors examined the role of knowledge integration in shaping the food security outcomes of socially differentiated smallholders’ households in Kassena-Nankana Municipal District and the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region of Ghana, where food insecurity prevalence is very high. Using mixed methods approach, they found that most low resource endowed households that were unable to combine traditional and Western farming methods were more likely to experience food insecurity than were other households. Farmers with higher resource endowments integrated knowledges from both traditional and Western systems leading to better yield outcomes. However, combining both knowledge systems did not guarantee automatic success due to intervening factors. The authors conclude that different categories of smallholders’ resource endowment significantly impacts the smallholders’ food security status, and recommend that policy and development programming should promote integration of traditional and Western farming knowledge systems to achieve sustainable food crop production.

Results-based M&E in Agricultural Projects and Value Addition on Household Food Security, Murang’a County, Kenya

This research study examined the influence of value addition on agricultural projects for households’ food security in Murang’a County. Value addition process brings potential changes to food agricultural production which provides addition value to agricultural produce in marketing a product, filling a market niche, simplifying the supply chain, offering a service, reducing expenses, and other methods (Guevara & Daleo, 2018. Worldwide, governments continue to face severe challenges on food security, both urban and rural Kenya have been affected. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of monitoring and evaluation of agricultural-based projects on household food security in Murang’a County. Among the study objectives was to determine whether Monitoring of agricultural-based projects value addition has any influence on household food security in Murang’a. Result-based Monitoring and Evaluation strategy was used as it has been widely used by development agencies since the 1990s. Value addition methods were also applied to help provide longevity, curb, and reduce spoilage of food whose lifespan is short. Research methodology sort to inform the study used pragmatic paradigm, with both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Researcher used descriptive survey and correlational designs. An interview guide and structured questionnaires were main methods used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used to analyze quantitative data. A paired sample t-test was used to evaluate the study's hypothesis after thematic analysis of the qualitative data. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient and simple and multiple linear regression models were used to determine the relationships between independent and dependent variables. The findings revealed meaningful associations between (1) M&E input process and household food security, and (2) M&E activities and household food security. The study concludes that value addition acts as a moderator and results-based agricultural projects have a major impact on household food security. The results of this study should help household heads, local leaders, agricultural extension offices, and government and donor agencies to generalize and adopt results-based M&E agriculture practices and value addition to improve household food security through the insightful information from the study. The findings realized that results-based agriculture projects and value-adding techniques were essential in making well-informed decisions about household food security. In conclusion, training and encouraging households to shift their attitudes towards education and crucial knowledge of monitoring and evaluating practices would ultimately guaranteeing enhanced produce output and food security for households.

Preschool child growth attainment and velocity during an agriculture intervention in rural Panama may be diminished by soil-transmitted helminths.

Agricultural interventions are often recommended to address undernutrition in subsistence farming communities. However, intensified agriculture exposure can increase soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections, which are linked with poor child growth. This study examined impacts of the VERASAN public health and agricultural intervention program on preschool child growth attainment (HAZ and WAZ) and relative growth velocity over 7 months [change in height-for-age (∆HAD) and weight-for-age (∆WAD) difference]. VERASAN was initiated in 15 subsistence farming communities in rural Panama experiencing chronic undernutrition. Activities targeted improved household food security, preschool child diets and growth by intensifying and diversifying household agriculture. Our objectives were to explore the relationship between VERASAN and preschool child growth attainment (HAZ and WAZ) and velocity (∆HAD and ∆WAD) during one agricultural cycle in 238 households. We compared those new to VERASAN with those involved for 1 or 5 years, and identified if agricultural practices, food security, diet diversity and treatment of pre-existing STH infection were associated with growth attainment or velocity. Prior participation in VERASAN did not directly influence WAZ, HAZ or ΔHAD but VERASAN-related benefits had an indirect influence. ΔHAD was positively associated with VERASAN-associated improvements in diet diversity and food security. HAZ and WAZ during land preparation were positively associated with diet diversity and HAZ with food security during harvest. HAZ was negatively associated with children visiting the agricultural plot, consuming leafy green vegetables and pre-existing hookworm infections. Both agricultural season and STH influenced ΔWAD. Children in VERASAN for 1 or 5 years experienced growth faltering between land preparation and growing season, but not those new to VERASAN. In contrast, between growing and harvest, ∆WAD declined in children new to VERASAN compared to children in VERASAN for longer. ΔWAD from land preparation to harvest was higher with pre-existing Ascaris infection whereas it was lower between growing season and harvest for pre-existing hookworm infection. In a context of preschool child growth faltering, malnutrition and STH infections, improved food security, agricultural production and diet diversity associated with VERASAN were associated with improved growth. In contrast, STH infections were negatively associated with some, but not all, growth outcomes.

Association of gender-related factors and household food security in southwest Oromia, Ethiopia: evidence from a cross-sectional study

BackgroundFood insecurity is a major concern across Ethiopia and a long-standing public health problem. Vulnerability to food insecurity varies by several individual and household factors; however, understanding the role of gender-related factors can serve as additional input for designing policy and interventions. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve in southwest Oromia, Ethiopia as part of a baseline assessment for the My Forest, My Livelihood, My Family program. A total of 1.113 households were selected from six woredas (districts) using a two-stage sampling procedure. The outcome variable was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, version 3. The association between gender-related factors and household food security was assessed by fitting a logistic regression.ResultsThe prevalence of food insecurity was 62.4%, with 28.1% of households assessed as severely food insecure. Households with both the wife and husband making decisions about major purchases were associated with an increased odds of household food security (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.44, confidence interval [CI] 1.06, 1.96). The odds increased when the woman alone made these decisions (AOR 2.15, CI 1.20, 3.85). Women’s formal education was also associated with increased odds of household food security.ConclusionsThis study adds evidence that policy and programmatic interventions that improve the agency of women to participate in asset ownership and household economic decision making, expand female literacy and education, and diversify income sources to include off-farm wage employment in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve are important steps for improving household food security.

Cash for assets during acute food insecurity: an observational study in South Sudan

BackgroundCash-based assistance in humanitarian contexts has grown substantially in recent years, yet little is empirically known about differential impacts of cash for diverse beneficiaries, which could better inform assistance targeting. In the context of increasing food insecurity and extreme levels of famine in South Sudan despite significant scale-up of humanitarian assistance, this analysis examined food security and household economy outcomes to better understand the impact of cash assistance and characteristics associated with worsened household food security and coping strategies.MethodsIn 2019–2021, a prospective cohort study was conducted leveraging a program providing cash for work in community gardens. 1213 households receiving cash prior to the start of the study (Cohort A/B), 582 non-intervention households (Control), and 300 households that received cash after the start of the study (Cohort C) completed 2 interviews spaced one year apart to measure household food insecurity and coping mechanism adoption.ResultsThere were no significant differences in change over time in household hunger score (p = 0.074), livelihoods coping strategy index score (p = 0.104), or meal frequency (p = 0.113) between program participants and the comparison group. The comparison group had a significantly larger increase in dietary diversity over time (0.6 vs. 0.2 in Cohort A/B, p = 0.005); however, at endline there were no significant differences in dietary diversity between program participants and the non-intervention group (4.3 in both groups). There were few factors associated with increased likelihood of worsened food security and coping outcomes, the most noticeable being recent investment livestock, which was associated with 1.5 times greater odds of worsened hunger and 1.63 times greater odds of worsened coping strategy adoption.ConclusionCash transfers did not appear to have lasting benefits on food security and livelihoods coping strategy use. Larger transfer sizes may need to be considered in future programming to achieve more substantial improvements in household food security; however, maintaining rather than improving household food security may be sufficient in worsening food crises contexts.

Index‐based selection of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) genotypes for tolerance to soil moisture and ambient heat stress

AbstractDeveloping potato varieties that have enhanced tolerance to soil moisture and high‐temperature stress could improve household food and nutrition security in drought and heat prone areas. A field experiment was conducted at two locations in Ethiopia to evaluate the effectiveness of some stress tolerance indices for the identification of drought and heat tolerant potato genotypes. Treatments consisted of two irrigation regimes and 23 potato genotypes. The experiment was laid out as a split‐plot design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. Irrigation regimes were the main plot factor and genotypes were the sub‐plot factor. Stress tolerance indices were calculated based on the tuber yield under stress (Ys) and non‐stress (Yp) conditions of each genotype. To determine the most desirable stress tolerant genotypes, all indices mean rank (R) and standard deviation of the R were computed. Genotypes Cl‐12(CIP‐304371.67), Cl‐13(CIP‐304383.80), Cl‐2(CIP‐302499.30), Cl‐34(CIP‐397079.6), Cl‐15(CIP‐304394.56), and Cl‐14(CIP‐304387.39) were found to have had top mean ranks and higher tuber yield under drought and heat stress. Ranking methods using all indices best determined desirable drought, heat, and combined drought‐heat tolerant genotypes that consistently coincided with the yield rank of genotypes under a given stress condition. This implies that these indices (stress tolerance index, geometric mean productivity, mean productivity, yield stability index, and tolerance index) could be used in combination to differentiate stress tolerances and susceptible potato genotypes. It is recommended that genotypes that exhibited higher drought and/or heat stress tolerance in this study could be further evaluated in drought and heat prone areas for the development of tolerant potato varieties.

Women's empowerment and child nutrition in a context of shifting livelihoods in Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia.

Agriculture, and particularly livestock and animal source foods, has been closely linked to improvements in human nutrition. Production, income, and women's empowerment improve household food security and child nutritional outcomes in interacting ways. Khat production in Eastern Ethiopia is changing the economic and livelihood landscape for communities that have traditionally relied upon small-scale mixed agriculture and livestock production. How this shifting livelihood landscape and the empowerment of women in these communities are affecting nutritional outcomes has not been investigated. Using cross-sectional data collected during formative research for the Campylobacter Genomics and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (CAGED) project, we developed models to examine the roles of livelihood activities, including livestock production, staple crop production, and khat production, and women's empowerment in child nutrition outcomes. Survey participants were randomly selected mothers of children aged 10-15 months from Haramaya district, Eastern Hararghe, Oromia, Ethiopia. Nested logistic regression models were performed for each nutrition outcome: children's animal source food consumption, children's dietary diversity, and child stunting, wasting, and underweight. Explanatory variables included those for livelihood (tropical livestock unit, crop production, and khat production ladder) and women's empowerment (as indicated by domains of the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index), and covariates including child sex, mother's age, mother's education, assets, income, and kebele. Results indicated that khat production and tropical livestock units were not significantly associated with any of the child nutrition outcomes. However, results did indicate that the odds of reporting child animal source food consumption in households where the mother was empowered in the leadership domain was 3.33 times that in households where the mother wasn't (p < 0.05). In addition, the odds of having a stunted child in households where the mother was empowered in the time domain was 2.68 times that in households where the mother wasn't (p < 0.05). The results from this study both support and complicate the existing literature on the associations between women's empowerment in agriculture and child nutrition outcomes, underscoring the important role that livelihood, contextual factors, and location may have on the complex relationship between empowerment domains and nutritional outcomes.

Analyzing the drivers of smallholder farmer’s market participation in the Sahelian region of Niger

Many sub-Saharan farmers rely on agricultural production for home consumption and sell crops to meet their other needs. Farmers’ market intervention enhances economic expansion and helps to improve household food security. In our current study, we strive to explore the determinants of farmers’ decisions and the intensity of market participation in the Sahelian region of Niger, where little has been published, thereby filling the gap in the literature. A double hurdle approach was employed to achieve this objective using a sample collected from 1784 farm households in Niger.Our findings reveal that the total quantity of crops produced, gender, credit access, farming experience, training, drought, and assets positively impact household market participation significantly. Based on these results, as the quantity of crop sales is driven positively and significantly by the amount of crop produced, finding ways to increase crop production will increase household market participation. This can only be achieved by encouraging farmers to adopt high-yield crop varieties, such as climate-resilient ones, to boost productivity. Furthermore, considering the positive association between credit availability and smallholder market participation, any initiative in the agricultural sector that will bring efforts to supply credit and farm inputs to farmers will surely help to improve agricultural production and household market participation.

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.

Contribution of homestead food garden towards food availability in Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality - Region 7, Gauteng Province of South Africa

The government of South Africa has a political and economic incentive to guarantee that people have access to enough nutritious food to always meet their needs, but many households in the nation still struggle to attain food security. Among its various initiatives, the South African government has introduced a Homestead Food Garden (HFG) program that aims to increase food production to combat hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity. Even though the struggle to achieve food security at household level in peri-urban areas of Gauteng Province dates back a long period, it has remained as a challenge goal even today. The study's objective was to determine how much HFG contributes to the availability of food in households in region 7 in the City of Tshwane and the factors that influence this availability using the Ordered Logistic Regression (ORD) model. A total of eleven explanatory variables were included in the pragmatic model. To ensure a representative sample size, 258 individuals were chosen at random from the study's survey design, which was quantitative in nature. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to gather data using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed that 83% of the participants continued to cultivate their homestead gardens after receiving support from HFG program; thus, the program improved food availability in the households of the gardeners. Food availability was positively and significantly influenced by age, other support program received, and the availability of homestead gardens (p&lt;0.01). From seasonal perspectives, there were more food available from domestic gardens in the summer than in the winter. In addition, more food was available in spring season gardens than in summer and winter. The type of food crops cultivated by majority (65%) of the participants was spinach. As such, HFG program improved household food availability mostly during spring and summer. Therefore, it is advised that policymakers should encourage targeted communities and youth to utilize vacant space in their backyards for food gardening. As part of HFG program, government should provide training about rainwater harvesting techniques to enable gardeners to conserve water for sustainable production throughout the year. Key words: Homestead Food Garden, Food availability, Food security, Households, Gauteng Province

Does Raising Livestock Improve Household Food Security and Child Dietary Diversity in a Rural Region of Madagascar?

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries and has an alarming prevalence of food insecurity and child undernutrition. Most of the Malagasy population live from agricultural activities making livestock a livelihood asset and a source of animal-source foods, especially for smallholder farmers. This study aimed to examine the association between livestock ownership, household food security, and children's dietary diversity in a rural region of Madagascar. Data from a cross-sectional survey of 344 respondents were used to assess the association between household tropical livestock units (TLU) per capita, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) scores, and dietary diversity scores (DDSs) among children aged 6-23 months. The estimation results from the ordered probit model showed that household TLU per capita is negatively associated with HFIAS scores and positively associated with DDSs among children. Additionally, households with mothers who received information on childcare and nutrition from health facilities and community nutrition agents were more likely to be food secure and have better dietary diversity. Therefore, promoting livestock ownership and strengthening nutrition-sensitive messages focusing on the benefits of raising livestock to mothers from rural Madagascar will likely be effective in improving household food security and nutrition for children.

Impact of Improved Sorghum Variety (MELKAM) a Doption on Smallholder Farmers Food Security in Babile District, Eastern Ethiopia

Extreme drought condition is a serious challenge for agricultural production and threating food security in sub-Saharan country including Ethiopia. Adoption of improved crop varieties like sorghum is very important to improve household food security. However, adoption of improved sorghum in our country is very limited due to several factors. The aim of this study was to examined adoption of improved sorghum variety (melkam) and its impact on smallhol der farmers’ food security in Babile district Eastern Harerghe zone, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. A combined research approach (a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis) was employed. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select five (5) kebeles and 320 sample household heads. Primary data was collected through an interview schedule assisted survey questionnaire, focus group discussion, key informant interview and secondary data was collected through document review. Descriptive, Household calorie acquisition and econometric were applied for data analyses. The descriptive statistics revealed that age of household head, years of schooling, land size, farm income, market distance, access to extension service, access to credit service, and farmer cooperative were found to significantly differentiate adopter and non- adopter households at various levels. Moreover, the result of binary logistic regression revealed that years of schooling, farm size, annual farm income, access to credit service, access to extension service, farmer cooperative, age of households and market distance were significant factors determining improved (melkam) sorghum variety adoption in the study area. The results of propensity score matching also showed that the adoption of melkam sorghum variety had a positive and significant impact on household food security. Those who adopted improved (melkam) sorghum variety were found to have about 528.67 Kcal/Adult/Day than non-adopter households. Therefore, this result implies that improving educational level, creating a special line for credit access, enhancing farmer cooperative in the area needed government attention to enhance improved sorghum variety adoption. Furthermore, to enhance and sustain the positive impact of improved (melkam) sorghum variety adoption local leaders should work on the dissemination of improved (melkam) sorghum variety in the area.

Dietary diversity and associated factors among adolescent girls in Nifas Silk Laphto sub city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2021

BackgroundAddressing the nutritional problems of adolescent girls is important as their nutritional status has a negative effect on the future generation. However, the evidence revealed the variation and unrelated data on the prevalence of dietary diversity and lack of including all adolescent age and community groups in Ethiopia. Hence, this study assessed dietary diversity and associated factors among adolescent girls in Nifas Silk Laphto Sub-city, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 2021.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 475 adolescent girls at Nifas Silk Laphto sub-city, Addis Ababa Ethiopia from July 1 to 30, 2021. Multistage cluster sampling was employed to select adolescent girls. Pretested questionnaires were used to collect the data. The data were checked for completeness and entered by Epidata version 3.1 and cleaned and analyzed by SPSS version 21.0. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with dietary diversity scores. The degree of association was assessed using an odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and variables with p-value ≤ 0.05 were considered significant.ResultThe mean and the standard deviation of dietary diversity scores were 4.70 and 1.21 respectively. The proportion of low dietary diversity scores among adolescent girls was 77.2%. Adolescent girls’ age, meal frequency, wealth index of household, and food insecurity were significant determinants of dietary diversity score.ConclusionThe magnitude of low dietary diversity scores was significantly higher in the study area. Adolescent girls’, meal frequency, wealth index, and food security status were predictors of dietary diversity score. School-based nutrition education and counseling and designing strategies for improving household food security programs are crucial.