by Goitom Sisay Mengesha
Original Research
This study has attempted to evaluate the household food security status of peri-urban modern small scale irrigation project beneficiaries. To attain this objective, a cross sectional survey method using structured questionnaire was employed on randomly selected 333 households. Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Food Consumption Score (FCS) and Per Capita Net Food Availability (NAF) were employed to evaluate the household food security status of the sample households. Furthermore, FGT family of indices were also computed. The HDDS result of this survey revealed that seven food groups were reported to be consumed with the mean HDDS value of 3.42, 3.84 and 3.21 for total samples, participants and non-participants respectively. The calculated FCS value for total samples, participants and non-participants was 42.74, 44.89 and 41.64 respectively. Furthermore, the computed NAF value revealed that of the total samples, 198 and 135 households were found to be food secure and food insecure respectively. This study illustrated household food insecurity, low dietary diversity and food consumption to be far more noticeable in non-participants than participants.
Journal of Food Security. 2017, 5(6), 259-272. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-5-6-6
Pub. Date: December 01, 2017
16871 Views4337 Downloads1 Likes
by Luís A. Cardoso, Jorge Ferrão and Tito H. Fernandes
Original Research
The changeable history of the fight against hunger is as old as humanity whose populations had to adapt again and again to changing environmental conditions, epidemics and other adversities. For the first time since the beginnings of agriculture, humanity now has the means at its disposal to overcome world hunger. Malnutrition remains one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most fundamental challenges for improved human development. It is important to recognize the links between malnutrition, poverty and, at the aggregate level, broad economic growth and national development, namely agrarian production. Presently one person in four goes hungry. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the modest progress achieved in recent years up to 2007 was reversed, with hunger rising 2% per year since then. Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals 1 (MDG 1) target, is assessed not only by measuring undernourishment, or hunger, but also by a second indicator – the prevalence of underweight children under five years of age. A vast amount of International Organizations deal with this subject and publish comprehensive reports not only on estimates on the progress already achieved, but also identifying remaining problems, providing guidance on which policies should be emphasized in the future. However, their targets remain almost unchanged. The aim of the present short review is to enhance the need for improved agriculture productivity and trading systems closely related with persistent malnutrition.
Journal of Food Security. 2017, 5(6), 248-258. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-5-6-5
Pub. Date: December 01, 2017
17791 Views4026 Downloads
by Tibebu Aragie and Sisay Genanu
Original Research
This paper examines the Determinants of food security in North Wollo Zone. Primary data from 335 households were collected from 16 kebeles of the zone. We used multistage sampling technique, and questionnaire and FGD were used to collect primary data. Both descriptive and econometric method of analysis were used. For econometric analysis, a logistic regression procedure was employed on household socio-economic cross-sectional data collected in 2016 (April and May). Of the fifteen variables fitted in the model; the age of household head, dependency ratio, average monthly expenditure, non-farm income, family size, distance from input market, farmland size, the number of oxen and livestock ownership were found to be significant. About 42 percent of the sample households were measured to be food insecure. Also, the incidence of food insecurity, food insecurity gap, and severity of food insecurity was 42, 14 and 7 percent respectively. These results have important policy implications for the expansion of non-farm activities and the introduction of livestock stocking programs at the household level to improve the food security status of households.
Journal of Food Security. 2017, 5(6), 232-247. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-5-6-4
Pub. Date: November 07, 2017
19515 Views4980 Downloads
by Uzondu Charles, Ogazi Josephine, Orame Ngozi, Okoye Chidimma and Igbokwe Charles
Original Research
Nigeria with its large population and huge oil resources remains a rural agrarian economy. Food insecurity is high as seventy percent of the population live on less than one hundred Naira, N100 (US$ 0.70) per day. The South East Nigeria has high rate of HIV/AIDS and vulnerable households leading to hunger and poverty. The study evaluated food security status of orphans and vulnerable households and factors that enable food insecurity in South East Nigeria. A cross-sectional study employing qualitative and quantitative methods and fourteen focus group discussions were used to obtain views from three thousand two hundred respondents. The FGD data were manually analyzed while quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Household hunger scale was used to determine the food security status of the households. Results: Nearly all the households (Anambra=96%, Imo=94.4%), did not provide enough food for the household needs. Sixteen percent of households in Anambra and 27 % in Imo could afford only one cooked meal in a day. The household hunger scale showed there was sever hunger in 35% of Imo households and 24% Anambra households. Findings from the FGD revealed that determinants of food insecurity in the region included weak supply side and high demand for food because of increased population; rural poverty; shortage of farmlands; food export to cities; high cost of food at the community level; over dependence on traditional, not mechanized farming; fast urbanization; HIV/AIDS, chronic illnesses and cultural norms which deny women and widows of land ownership. Conclusion: High food insecurity rate was found among the surveyed households in both states. There was a strong relationship between the socio-demographic variables and the food insecurity status in the households. Overall, the food supply side is weak, while the demand far outstretches the supply.
Journal of Food Security. 2017, 5(6), 223-231. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-5-6-3
Pub. Date: November 06, 2017
9705 Views2030 Downloads1 Likes
by Isaac W. Ofosu, William O. Ellis, Kwabena Nsiah and Ibok N. Oduro
Original Research
NULs are increasingly becoming food security crop but consumers complain about their safety after consumption. This is a serious matter that must be investigated so that the exposure and risks associated with their usage are evaluated and any uncertainties quantified. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data on NULs familiarity and consumption and the perception of consumers regarding their potential hazards. Also, time-temperature inactivation of the agglutinins of NULs flours, together with the NULs’ model dishes were studied, from which the risk assessment of lectin’s systemic toxicity was evaluated using the hazard-based approach. It was observed that, majority of the respondents who were over 40 years (67.6%) were also familiar (59.4%) with NULs and consumed NULs dishes (59.4%). The most popular dishes were obtained from the seeds of Vigna sp. (15.9%) and Phaseolus sp.(14.95%). The majority (66%) perceived the presence of hazards in NULs, citing pesticide residues (58.7%) but not intrinsic hazard as threat. A few also considered pesticide residues to be interactive with food additives (16.6 %) as dangerous. Majority (66.1%) considered NULs dishes as safe, while at the same time complained of discomfort (97.2%) after consumption. Yet, they would still recommend their use to others. Significantly high quantities of agglutinins remained in Vigna sp. flours even after cooking for 1 h relative to others. The hazard quotients of all the NULs dishes were above 1, meaning consumers are at risk of systemic toxicity. Respondents were somewhat confused about their perception of NULs safety, especially towards intrinsic hazards. Since extrinsic toxicity can be controlled, consumers must be made aware of the potential inherent threats that are associated with NULs consumption.
Journal of Food Security. 2017, 5(6), 212-222. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-5-6-2
Pub. Date: November 01, 2017
17986 Views3405 Downloads
by Jehad Abbadi
Original Research
In order to search for low input alternative wheat cultivars, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms of phosphorous (P) uptake and utilization efficiency of two traditional wheat cultivars as compared to a modern cultivar. The experiment was conducted under semi-controlled conditions using four P supplies. Plant growth and P efficiency parameters were studied at two harvest dates. Plant and soil parameters where measured: shoot dry matter, P concentration in shoot, root length, root diameter, specific root density, root length/shoot weight, shoot growth rate, P shoot demand on roots, P influx, P efficiency ratio, P utilization index, extractable and soil solution P concentrations, and P recovery. Traditional and modern cultivars had similar overall uptake (P influx, and recovery) and utilization efficiency. In terms of specific efficiency traits, traditional cultivars had the superiority in having more root size, higher root shoot ratio, slower shoot growth rate and less shoot demand on roots for P, but were inferior in having thicker roots and less specific root density. Investigating P use efficiency mechanisms could be a useful tool in selection programs to separate plant cultivars to superior and inferior, but using different measures of utilization efficiency parameters could be in some cases misleading.
Journal of Food Security. 2017, 5(6), 197-211. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-5-6-1
Pub. Date: October 17, 2017
18385 Views3398 Downloads24 Likes