Volume 9, Issue 2

Food Insecurity Experience among Pastoralist Community in South Omo, Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
Original Research
Food insecurity is a global challenge, particularly in developing country like Ethiopia, which is aggravated by a lack of adequate food availability, rapid population growth and COVID-19; it has serious consequences for the health and well-being of adults and children. Although several studies have been conducted in central and agrarian communities, there is little evidence of studies on food insecurity in the most remote communities like Southern Omo. This study aimed to assess the contributing factors and coping strategies related to food insecurity among rural agro pastoralist community. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in southern Ethiopia. A total of 18 in-depth interview participants were interviewed and moreover 5 focus group discussions were conducted in total of 53 pregnant women, until data saturations. Field notes were taken and voice recoded during each sessions. The information were transcribed verbatim and analyzed, thematically supported by Atlas ti 7 software. The findings were presented in theme, sub-theme and category with quote. The study confirmed that, there is an important contributing factors affecting food security such as: drought, rain shortage, climate change, food sources always from purchasing, food aid community, living within a pastoralist community, poor soil fertility, Omo river not used for irrigation, conflict between ethnic group, increment of population number, and unavailable guideline were the main contributing factors for household food insecurity. Moreover, in-depth interview and FGD participants provided their opinion on household food insecurity coping strategies like selling cow/goat and buying maize powder, eating uncommon tree (“negode”), getting help from food aid, access of safety net, borrowing food/crops from neighboring (“kebele”) ethnic families, eating unacceptable leaves and branches, selling fire wood and grass in town and doing labor work at town. The study findings confirmed that, drought, rain shortage, climate change, poor soil fertility, and lack of irrigation system for productions that affect food security. Therefore, policy makers and local agricultural authority recommended to build resilient, advanced, and context based agriculture system to overcome aforementioned factors in pastoralist community.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(2), 85-93. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-2-6
Pub. Date: May 30, 2021
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Study of Yeasts Characteristics Isolated from the Fermented Peelings of Yams: Research of New Sources of Fermentative Strains
Original Research
Yeast strains were isolated in this study from the perspective of fermentation technology. For this study, fermented peelings of three varieties of yam namely “Bètè-bètè”, “Kponan” and “Krenglè” were analyzed. The charge of yeasts were 124000 UFC, 3200 CFU, and 118000 CFU respectively for the fermented peelings of the varieties “Bètè bètè”, “Kponan” and “Krenglè”. Five species were identified by VITEK® 2 Systems method. Indeed, strains of Candida ciferrii, Candida famata, Candida lusitaniea, Cryptococcus laurentii and Trichosporon mucoides were isolated and identified. However, the predominance species were Candida ciferrii, and Candida famata. The strains of all the yeasts species had positive assimilation for the majority of carbon and nitrogen compounds tested. These yeasts showed also activities mainly for leucine-arylamidase, beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, gamma-glutamyl-transferase, PNP-N-acetyl-BD-galactosaminidase 1 and alpha-glucosidase. The characteristics of these yeasts show thus great perspective of fermentation technology. Our work is the first ever on yeast diversity from fermented peelings of yams.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(2), 76-84. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-2-5
Pub. Date: April 21, 2021
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Isolation and Identification of Bacteriocin-Producing Bacillus spp from Rastrineobola argentea (Omena) with Activity against Bovine Mastitis Bacterial Pathogens
Original Research
Rampant use of antibiotics has increased resistance of pathogenic bacteria in both animals and humans. This has triggered the investigation of novel antimicrobial agents produced by a bacterial strain of low virulence with antimicrobial activity with a wide range of clinical significance. This study sought to extract bacteriocins from Bacillus spp that were isolated and identified from Omena (Rastrineobola argentea) and to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial effect of the obtained bacteriocin against bovine mastitis pathogens. Samples were collected from Lake Victoria using a completely randomized design method followed by isolation of the bacteriocin producing Bacillus spp. Characterization and identification of isolates was done by Gram staining, morphology and Biochemical tests which included catalase, nitrate reduction, methyl Red,-Voges-Proskauer, indole, motility and hydrogen sulphide, growth on Simmons citrate agar, triple sugar iron agar and starch hydrolysis. Antimicrobial activity was done using disc diffusion methods on the nutrient agar and zone of the inhibition measured after 24hours. An analytical profile index system (API 50CH BE, Biomerieux, Inc, France), was also used for identification. Molecular characterization was done by extracting genomic DNA using Qiagen DNA isolation Kit (Qiagen Germany) using the manufacturer's instructions. The gene encoding the 16S rRNA was amplified by PCR using universal bacterial primers pair combination of forwarding primer 27F forward (5′-AGA GTT TGA TCC TGG CTC AG-3′) and 1492R reverse, (5′-GGT TAC CTT GTT ACG ACT T-3′) about Escherichia coli gene sequence. A total of 60 pure isolates were obtained from Omena samples from Lake. Victoria. Morphological characteristics showed varied colour, form, shape and elevation of the pure colonies. About 54 isolates (90%) were gram-positive with spores, while 6 (10%) were gram-negative. Biochemical tests showed varied results among the bacterial isolates. 28 isolates showed antimicrobial activity on E. coli and S. aureus with inhibition measuring between 17-30mm. Analytical profile index system also showed that 20 isolates (71%) were identified as Bacillus subtilis, three isolates (11%) identified as Bacillus pumilus and five isolates (18%) Bacillus mycoides. The Blast analysis of the partial sequences showed100% of the strains of genus Bacillus within the Firmicutes in the domain bacteria. Twenty (20) isolates belong to Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus mycoides represent 18% (5 isolates) while Bacillus pumilus constituted 11% (3 isolates). This study contributes to understanding the use of bacteriocin in the control of diseases in dairy animal farming in Kenya.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(2), 62-75. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-2-4
Pub. Date: April 19, 2021
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Analysis of Small Scale Farmers Households Food Security in the Mount Bamboutos Ecosystem
Original Research
The Mount Bamboutos ecosystem constitutes part of the area with the second highest level of food insecurity in Cameroon. In order to check the diminishing biodiversity, there is an urgent need to develop a 25-year plan for the management of the Mount Bamboutos ecosystem biodiversity. This study seeks to examine the food security status of smallholder farming households, factors affecting household food security and coping strategies in case of food shortages. Households were selected through a simple random process from 11 villages around Mount Bamboutos and questionnaires administered to 261 household heads. The socio economic characteristics of the households were analysed. The main sources of income for farmers in the study area were crop production and animal production. The Household Food (In) Security Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to measure household food security. Forty five percent of the sampled households were food secure. Access to irrigation facility by household was positive and highly significantly (P<0.01) influenced household food security as well as the duration of household head in the village. The main coping strategies in case of food shortages used by the farmers were; eating same food and skipping meals. As a recommendation, irrigation facilities and training opportunities should be provided to smallholder farmers in the study area to ensure better crop production for food security.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(2), 56-61. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-2-3
Pub. Date: April 09, 2021
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Food Security in Urban Cities: A Case Study Conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa
Original Research
The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of food insecurity in greater Johannesburg metropole (South Africa). A total of 1000 households were interviewed using standardised food insecurity scaling and scoring metrics. Findings revealed that 34% of households experienced food insecurity and almost 60% spent R1000($57) or less on food per month. Only half of respondents reported adequate food provisioning throughout the year. Many households frequently bought less preferred foods or only what was necessary and almost 50% borrowed food or money to cope with food insecurity. Appropriate interventions to alleviate food and nutrition security are essential.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(2), 46-55. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-2-2
Pub. Date: April 06, 2021
6032 Views22 Downloads
Food Insecurity Coping Strategies and Determinants of Households’ Choice of Specific Coping Strategies in Kitui County, Kenya
Review Article
A study was carried out to examine farmers’ coping strategies and the determinants of their choice of specific coping strategies to food insecurity in selected agro-ecological zones in Kitui County. A total of 341 households were selected from four different agro-ecological zones: semi-humid, transitional semi-humid to semi- arid, semi-arid and arid zones. The results indicated that use of off-farm income, selling livestock to buy food, reducing number of meals per day, selling family assets and seeking off-farm employment in urban areas were the most common coping strategies adopted by farmers in the study area. Further, there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.01) in the farmers’ use of off-income to buy food, food assistance for assets programs, relying on relief food, selling livestock to buy food, selling forest products, reducing the number of meals per day and moving herds from one place to another across the four agro-ecological zones. Multivariate probit regression model analysis showed that different socio-economic characteristics had a varying influence on the farmers’ choice of specific coping strategies. The study therefore recommends that interventions by state and non-state actors aimed at enhancing households’ ability to cope with climate variability and extreme events related food shortages should be informed by household’s specific socio-economic characteristics that influence the coping strategy in question in specific agro-ecological zones.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(2), 36-45. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-2-1
Pub. Date: March 25, 2021
2735 Views11 Downloads