by Gosbert Lukenku Shausi
Original Research
A study was carried out in Bahi District of Central Tanzania to explore local perceptions of food security and vulnerability to food insecurity. In this area millet is the staple food. In this regard, a household without enough millet to feed its members for the whole year was perceived food insecure even if it had access to other foodstuffs. Also, a household that depleted its millet stocks in less than 12 months was perceived food insecure while vulnerability was perceived as a state of being food insecure and/or being at risk of becoming food insecure. Based on local perceptions, 76% of the sampled households were found vulnerable to food insecurity whereas 24% were not. Besides, majority of the households were food insecure (63%) while only 37% households were food secure. Various factors were associated with household vulnerability to food insecurity. These factors include household being headed by a very old person (70 years and above); lack of alternative sources of income; misuse or improper handling of the produced food; a household having dependents (children under 13 years and old persons of over 70 years old). Therefore interventions to improve food security and reduce vulnerability to food insecurity should address these factors and seek to improve millet production.
Journal of Food Security. 2020, 8(3), 117-122. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-8-3-5
Pub. Date: November 27, 2020
2523 Views141 Downloads1 Likes
by Wilfred Omondi, Hillary Bett and Timothy Njagi
Original Research
The main aim of the paper is to analyse the influence of collective action participation defined as group participation on technical efficiency among smallholder banana producers in Kisii and Nyamira Counties, Kenya. Using stochastic frontier approach, the study evaluated how farmers in collective action differ from non-collective action participants in terms of technical efficiency levels of banana production as well as the factors responsible for inefficiencies among farmers. Logistic regression model is also used to determine the characteristics of group participation among the smallholder producers. The findings were based on cross-sectional data with a sample size of 260 smallholder banana producing households obtained through a multi-stage sampling technique. From the results obtained from logistic regression, salaried occupation had a significant adverse effect on group participation, while age, gender, education level, informal occupation, mobile phone ownership and access to extension advice had a significant positive impact. Besides, the stochastic production frontier model estimates showed that group members were more technically efficient than non-members at the 1% significance level. Field size, use of manure and inorganic fertilizer had a significant positive effect on productivity levels with high returns to scale exhibited among non-group members. Inefficiency levels were significantly affected by the age, gender and occupation of the household head. In conclusion, collective action helps farmers to address various production needs, thus making them more technically efficient.
Journal of Food Security. 2020, 8(3), 105-116. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-8-3-4
Pub. Date: November 18, 2020
2705 Views169 Downloads
by Thomas Kehinde and Eforuoku Favour
Original Research
Conquering malnutrition, which is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today requires developing appropriate food security policies. There is a need to continuously assess the state of food insecurity and malnutrition among farm households, this is pivotal in drafting timely polices especially in regions where the populaces are predisposed to malnutrition due to high social inequity, poverty and conflict. This study investigated the food insecurity and nutritional status of farm households in Northwestern Nigeria, using a randomly selected sample of 302 households. Nutrition status of respondents and children between 12 and 59 months were determined. Household dietary diversity and food insecurity data were collected using 24-hours dietary and household food insecurity access scale. Result revealed that a large percentage of households experienced food insecurity with moderate hunger and low diet diversity. Stunting was the most prevalent form of malnutrition among children. Food insecurity was inversely and significantly associated to income and formal education. Also, nutritional status, household diet diversity, stunting and wasting correlated to food insecurity. Agricultural extension agents should embark on food literacy among women. Diversity in production and consumption of staple nutritious crops should be promoted.
Journal of Food Security. 2020, 8(3), 98-104. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-8-3-3
Pub. Date: November 18, 2020
2989 Views189 Downloads
by Md. Adnan Shahid and Alok Bohara
Original Research
This paper estimates the impact of participation in a microfinance program on household food security using primary data from Nepal. We also disentangle the relationship by gender. Using variants of propensity score matching to adequately address endogeneity of our treatment variable, we find evidence that microfinance has a positive effect on household food security measured by food consumption score. We also present evidence of significant increase in household food security when women are program participants. In comparison, we find no significant gender difference in the effect of microfinance on household food security status.
Journal of Food Security. 2020, 8(3), 89-97. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-8-3-2
Pub. Date: October 13, 2020
3712 Views380 Downloads
by Romeo Oduro Akrasi, Prince Ntrie Eddico and Rejoice Adarkwah
Original Research
Food security has remained topical over the period and Africa in among the world’s most food insecure regions. Several strategies have been adopted by rural dwellers to improve food security but the situation remains prevalent. One such approach is the adoption of income diversification strategies. This study assesses the effect of income diversification strategies of rice farmers on household food security in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region of Ghana with the use of a semi-structured questionnaires. The strategies of concern include ‘Rice income only’ (R); ‘Rice income plus other agricultural incomes’ (RA); ‘Rice income plus non-agricultural incomes’ (RN) and; ‘Rice income plus other agricultural and non-agricultural incomes’ (RAN). The ‘Rice income only’ (R) were those respondents that did not diversify in any way at all; they cultivated only rice The Multinomial Logit Model was used to estimate factors affecting the choice of income strategies. Being a household head, household size, employable skills and household food expenditure significantly affected choice of diversification. Respondents’ household food security was measured using the household dietary diversity score (HDDS). The mean HDDS was 5.81 indicating moderate food security. The Poisson Regression was used to model the effect of income diversification on food security. All the 3 diversification strategies had a positive and significant effect on food security. The study concluded that income diversification had a positive effect on food security and that attainment of high food security was associated with diversification into non-agricultural activities. The study recommends that farmer-field workshops should be organized periodically in the area to train farmers to equip them with non-farm skills so they can explore other opportunities outside of farming. Also, farmer awareness on the need for crop diversification and livestock production should be intensified in the area.
Journal of Food Security. 2020, 8(3), 77-88. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-8-3-1
Pub. Date: August 14, 2020
3499 Views627 Downloads