by Adeolu B. Ayanwale, Adesiyan O. Funmilola, Adelekun. C. Abiodun, Ojo. P. Mathew, Ajekigbe N Alaba and Durodoluwa J. Oyedele
Original Research
Background: In spite of Nigeria’s huge agricultural and human resources potential, recent reports state that most farming households are on the verge of acute food insecurity. Commonly adduced reasons for the food insecurity status do not accord adequate attention the critical role the demand for nutritious protein by these resource-poor farming households especially those cultivating Underutilised Indigenous Vegetables (UIV) plays. This study therefore examines the nature of demand for protein among the UIV farming households and its implication for food security. Methodology/Principal Findings: The study area was all the six states in the Southwestern part of Nigeria and Kwara state. Primary data was collected in 144 communities among 1089 households. Findings indicate that the majority of the household experience food shortages on a weekly basis. They cope by borrowing money as well as reducing the quality and quantity of food eaten. A Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model considered proteinous food items which include egg, chicken, pork, fish, milk, beef and bushmeat. Price elasticity of egg is unitary; chicken, pork and bushmeat are elastic; and fish and milk are inelastic. Pork is the most price elastic. Beef exhibits a Veblen effect and its only substitute is the bushmeat. Chicken, milk and fish are inferior goods while egg is a necessity. Sex, age, household size and educational level significantly affect the budget share to protein among the producers. Conclusion/Significance: The study established that poor UIV farming households consider consumption of proteinous food items as a privilege in display of better social status because they (proteinous food items) command higher prices. Others not so privileged farming households seek cheaper alternatives by consuming bush meats and UIVs which thus becomes important in the food security equation.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(5), 183-191. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-5-5
Pub. Date: November 18, 2019
6491 Views1014 Downloads
by Haziz Sina, Paul Attien, Mamadou Wélé, Akim Socohou, Amine Boukary-Chabi, Victorien T. Dougnon, Farid Baba-Moussa, Adolphe Adjanohoun and Lamine Baba-Moussa
Original Research
Grilled meat is a rich foodstuff in protein and very important for human consumption. Its quality is all the characteristics that give it its organoleptic, nutritional, hygienic and technological properties. The aim of this work was to evaluate the sanitary risk and the microbial contamination of grilled meat sold in Cotonou, Benin. To reach our goal, a semi-strutured investigation was conducted in the meat grilling production shops focusing on the characteristics of the company, the method of preparation of the meat, the type of meat produced and methods of preserving meat. A total of 50 samples of meats samples were analyzed for fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp, sulphite reducing anaerobes and total aerobic mesophilic counts. The susceptibility to conventional antibiotic was investigated by the disk diffusion method. The inspection of the meat grilling enterprises revealed that 73% of these companies are located on the edge of the high-traffic public road, 85% of which is sold by a person and 15% by 2 people. This activity is conducted solely by men (100%) in Cotonou and dominated by Nigerians (57%). Most of the grilled meats sell meat from both chickens and mutton (82%) and the majority (70%) get their supplies from slaughterhouses market. Before grilling operations, 97% of the sellers make a general cleaning and in case of slump 80% use the refrigeration to preserve their product. Total aerobic mesophilic flora, Staphylococcus, coliforms and Escherichia coli load recorded with chicken samples are higher than those observed on mutton samples are. Considering grilled mutton, Staphylococcus load (6.9 X 103 CFU/g) is higher than that of E. coli’s (1.4X102 CFU/g). The antibiogram test on strains of Staphylococcus to reveal overall that the resistance rates of Staphylococcus strains to antibiotics are less than or equal to 50% regardless of the antibiotic with a very strong inhibitory activity (98% inhibition) vancomycin and ciprofloxacin.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(5), 175-182. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-5-4
Pub. Date: October 18, 2019
9606 Views1116 Downloads
by G. Williams, K.O. Ansah, J.K. Agbenorhevi, I.N. Oduro and E. Bobobee
Original Research
Cassava (Manihotesculanta) is a root crop which serves as an important source of starch on a global scale. The objective of this work was to investigate the characteristics of starch from some new cassava accessions at different maturity. Six new cassava accessions (Abrabopa, Agra, Amansen, Ampong, Bankyehemma andDuadekpakpa) were harvested at four different months (from April – July 2017; i.e., 7-10th month) after planting. The starch was extracted using the conventional method of starch extraction and their yield calculated. The amylose was determined by means of spectrophotometry whereas pasting properties of the starches were analyzed using Rapid Visco Analyzer. Average starch yield ranged from 18-29% with the highest yield recorded in the 10th month for the various varieties studied. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the peak viscosity, final viscosity, peak time and pasting temperature but significant differences were recorded for setback, trough and breakdown of the starch samples. The amylose (14-25%) and amylopectin (76-85%) content of the varieties differed significantly (p < 0.05). The present work shows that maturity affects the starch yield, composition and pasting properties of the new cassava accessions and this should be considered in deciding the time to harvest each accession for specific food and non-food industrial applications.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(5), 170-174. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-5-3
Pub. Date: October 14, 2019
5100 Views879 Downloads1 Likes
by Tarek Ben Hassen and Hamid El Bilali
Original Research
Food insecurity concerns are as old as humanity. Food security exists when all population, at all times, has access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. It is built on four pillars, namely food availability, food access, food utilisation, and stability. While it is widely admitted that food security increases with economic development, also rich countries in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, face specific challenges. Therefore, this review paper analyses the state, determinants and perspectives of food security in GCC region. Historically, food security was not an issue for the GCC states. In fact, GCC states are capital rich and have no foreign exchange limitation for food import. Consequently, due to their robust fiscal position resulting in high buying power, these countries, have been less vulnerable to price risk than other food importers; and able to bridge the shortfall in domestic production. As a result, in 2018, the six GCC members have been ranked as the most food secure in the Arab world and among the most food secure countries in the world. However, in the wake of the 2007–2008 global food crisis, food security became an ongoing challenge. The crisis exposed the high dependence of GCC countries on imports, limits of import-based food policies and the need to increase the local production. However, agriculture is limited by several natural conditions, such as scarce water resources and poor soils, and aquifers have been heavily exploited above the average natural recharge. Further, potentially, more critical to GCC food security is availability risk, which arises when an import-dependent country is not able to obtain food, even if it has sufficient funds to purchase it. The paper makes the case for promoting a productive and sustainable agriculture, with high resources use efficiency, to increase food security in the GCC.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(5), 159-169. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-5-2
Pub. Date: September 15, 2019
13820 Views1704 Downloads
by Aboubacar Diallo and Asiamah Maxwell Toah
Original Research
Food insecurity is one of the most serious challenges facing developing countries all over the world. In Mali, it has been revealed that many regions suffer from food insecurity including the Southern region which is known as the most valuable cereal production area. In this region, maize is one of the main crops produced and the most commonly eaten food that provides necessary calories to farmers. The present study analysed the determinants of food insecurity among maize farming households using primary data from Southern region of Mali. We employed the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to determine the prevalence of food insecurity among maize farming households. Probit Regression Model (PM) was used to investigate the determinants of food insecurity. Using HFIAS, the majority of the farming households were found food insecure. These included households ranged from mildly (41%), moderately (12%), and severely (7%) food insecure groups. Food secure households were over 40%. Using part of saving to buy food, borrowing of money, and relying on less preferred less expensive food were the major coping strategies used by farming households’ heads. Focusing on the factors with high significant influence, evidence from the PM showed that maize yield, access to extension services, and off-farm employment exerted negative effects on farming households’ food insecurity status whilst household size exerted a positive effect. We recommend that government should try to put in place facilities and infrastructures bringing closer extension services to farmers to increase their access to information related to agriculture and by this way improve their productivity for food security. Also, farmers should be strongly encouraged to diversify their source of income for food purchases. Furthermore, it is recommended to promote small family size to reduce farming households’ food insecurity in Mali in general and the Southern region in particular.
Journal of Food Security. 2019, 7(5), 151-158. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-7-5-1
Pub. Date: September 06, 2019
7702 Views1434 Downloads1 Likes