by Michael Rudolph, Madimetja Antony Mello and Evans Muchesa
Original Research
The objectives of the study were to explore and develop a sustainable social entrepreneurship model which can be effectively and efficiently applied in the establishment, operations, and evaluation of urban farming initiatives in Johannesburg. The methodology used for the study was a review of relevant literature and key expert qualitative interviews which investigated strategic and operational intervention regarding the successful implementation of these initiatives. The findings highlighted several important challenges which limited and hampered the ability of urban smallholder farmers to ensure financial viability and sustainability of their farming initiatives. The results confirmed findings from other studies including limited accessibility to farming land, markets, funding and most importantly knowledge and information regarding setting up and effectively and efficiently managing small agri-businesses. One of the outcomes of this study is a proposed social entrepreneurship model that describes an alternative way of thinking about social initiatives, viz. a focus on both social impact and the profitability of the business. Further work needs to be done to develop an enabling environment for these initiatives to flourish. This study should stimulate and trigger a much-needed shift in thinking and approach to urban agriculture to effectively benefit and transform the urban farming community and related stakeholders.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(3), 126-135. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-3-5
Pub. Date: August 25, 2021
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by Samuel Imathiu
Review Article
Many neglected and underutilized vegetable species such as indigenous African leafy vegetables have been incorporated in human diets since time immemorial, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and many Asian countries where they greatly contribute to food and nutrition security. Due to their well-documented superior nutritional quality and climate-smartness compared to their exotic counterparts, many of them are currently receiving a lot of attention among many stakeholders including governments, researchers, nutritionists, consumers and farmers. As a result of their climate adaptability and high micronutrient content, they can be used to curb ‘hidden hunger’ most prevalent in developing countries, contributing to the achievement of some of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals; no poverty, zero hunger, and good health and wellbeing. In this review, the general role of neglected and underutilized vegetable species, and indigenous African leafy vegetables in particular, is discussed with respect to their contribution to food and nutrition security. The benefits of embracing increased production and consumption of these vegetables in the context of developing countries, especially among the under-privileged rural poor is highlighted. In addition, challenges facing production and consumption of these vegetables are discussed and recommendations for research gaps suggested with the ultimate aim of ensuring that the commodity’s full potential is realized.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(3), 115-125. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-3-4
Pub. Date: August 16, 2021
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by Agboola Peter Temitope and Lawrence Art Wolfskill
Original Research
Food insecurity continues to affect a large number of the U.S households during the novel COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has indeed threatened the livelihood of people, making them vulnerable to severe hardship and has had an unanticipated impact on the U.S economy. While researchers have carried out studies in some cities in Texas to ascertain the degree of food insecurity in households, none has examined the status of food insecurity amongst the households in the city of Huntsville, following COVID-19. Thus, this study attempts to identify the food insecurity status of households and the determinant factors driving household food insecurity in Huntsville, Texas. Additionally, the research attempts to identify the mitigation measures adopted by households during the pandemic in the city. Therefore, a structured online sample survey was used to collect data, while household expenditures survey was utilized in evaluating the food security status of households. The data were subjected to a critical evaluation via descriptive statistics and logistic regression modeling. A logistic regression model was used to determine the factors responsible for food insecurity in the study area. The examination showed that COVID-19 had a practical effect on the lives and source(s) of income of majority of the respondents. However, most households in the study area were food secure, because a significant proportion were educated, and fully employed, while those who had part time jobs or unemployed were food insecure. Also, the provisions of the American Rescue Plan and economic impact payment enabled food security amongst the households in Huntsville, Texas. Overall, the research evinced that 63.13 % of households were food secure as a result of societal support from charitable organizations, while 36.87 were food insecure in the city of Huntsville, Texas.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(3), 106-114. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-3-3
Pub. Date: August 08, 2021
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by Rasheed Perry, Lisa Reid and Fitzroy Henry
Original Research
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the globe and remains a threat to the food and nutrition security of vulnerable communities due to the disruptions of the food system. This study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on food and nutrition security at the household level in eight Caribbean countries. The findings revealed that 16% of households reported that their diet was suboptimal during the crisis; among the households severely affected, rice and egg consumption increased whereas the utilization of meats, fish, chicken, vegetables, and fruit intake declined; 40% of households experienced some form of hunger and 42% of them reported that they were moderately to severely affected. As countries aim to recover and regain stability, households remain at risk and the situation on the ground may worsen and therefore the findings of this study may be modest. As such, food security should be an integral part of the policy framework to address immediate needs and the imperatives for long-term resilience.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(3), 101-105. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-3-2
Pub. Date: July 18, 2021
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by Dinga Lynette Aoko and Ojijo Nelson K. Olang’o
Original Research
Food security remains a key challenge in Kenya. A household is considered to be food insecure when they lack physical and economic access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life at all times. In the last six months or so, vulnerability to food insecurity has been exacerbated by the raging effects of COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed the Government of Kenya to impose a partial lockdown in the month of April, 2020, in the counties of Nairobi and Mombasa. This survey sought to assess the effects of the ongoingCOVID-19 lockdown on household food security situation in Kenya. A survey was conducted from June to July 2020 through a structured questionnaire which was administered through online social networks. A total of 444 responses were received, but only 80 were completely filled. Quantitative data were collected on the socio-demographic characteristics, dietary practices and coping strategies based on a set of questions to assess behavioral responses to manage incipient household food shortage. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Descriptive statistics such as mean, percentages and frequencies were carried out; relationships between the variables were assessed using chi-square test, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression. Significance levels were determined at 95 percent confidence interval where a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. The prevalence of low, medium and high dietary diversity scores were 7.5 percent, 17.5 and 75 percent, respectively, implying that the majority of the respondent households were food secure with pockets of food insecure households within the Nairobi Metropolitan region. There was a significant relationship between household dietary diversity and household income source (χ²=7.71, p=0.02), household perceived economic pressure during the COVID-19 lockdown (χ²=20.37, p<0.01), and household perceived ability to meet their food needs (χ²=18.01, p<0.01). Consumption of less preferred and less expensive foods was the most (30 percent) often used coping strategy against food insecurity. The study recommends putting up mitigation strategies to support pockets of food insecure households during lockdowns imposed by state agencies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Journal of Food Security. 2021, 9(3), 94-100. DOI: 10.12691/jfs-9-3-1
Pub. Date: June 01, 2021
2223 Views10 Downloads