The impact of improved agricultural technologies on household food security of smallholders in Central Ethiopia: An endogenous switching estimation

Abstract Background Food insecurity impacts nearly one-in-four Latinx households in the United States and has been exacerbated by the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We examined the impact of COVID-19 on household and child food security in three preexisting, longitudinal, Latinx urban cohorts in the San Francisco Bay Area (N = 375 households, 1875 individuals). Households were initially recruited during pregnancy and postpartum at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and UCSF Benioff prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this COVID-19 sub-study, participants responded to a 15-min telephonic interview. Participants answered 18 questions from the US Food Security Food Module (US HFSSM) and questions on types of food consumption, housing and employment status, and history of COVID-19 infection as per community or hospital-based testing. Food security and insecurity levels were compared with prior year metrics. Results We found low levels of household food security in Latinx families (by cohort: 29.2%; 34.2%; 60.0%) and child food security (56.9%, 54.1%, 78.0%) with differences between cohorts explained by self-reported levels of education and employment status. Food security levels were much lower than those reported previously in two cohorts where data had been recorded from prior years. Reported history of COVID-19 infection in households was 4.8% (95% Confidence Interval (CI); 1.5–14.3%); 7.2% (95%CI, 3.6–13.9%) and 3.5% (95%CI, 1.7–7.2%) by cohort and was associated with food insecurity in the two larger cohorts (p = 0.03; p = 0.01 respectively). Conclusions Latinx families in the Bay Area with children are experiencing a sharp rise in food insecurity levels during the COVID-19 epidemic. Food insecurity, similar to other indices of poverty, is associated with increased risk for COVID-19 infection. Comprehensive interventions are needed to address food insecurity in Latinx populations and further studies are needed to better assess independent associations between household food insecurity, poor nutritional health and risk of COVID-19 infection.

Download Full-text

Assessing the Potential Contribution of Pfumvudza Towards Climate Smart Agriculture in Zimbabwe: A Review

10.20944/preprints202101.0619.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Never Mujere

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Food Security ◽

Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Household Food ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

The Impact

Concerns of food and environmental security have increased enormously in recent years due to the vagaries of climate change and variability. Efforts to promote food security and environmental sustainability often reinforce each other and enable farmers to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change and other stresses. Some of these efforts are based on appropriate technologies and practices that restore natural ecosystems and improve the resilience of farming systems, thus enhancing food security. Climate smart agriculture (CSA) principles, for example, translate into a number of locally-devised and applied practices that work simultaneously through contextualised crop-soil-water-nutrient-pest-ecosystem management at a variety of scales. The purpose of this paper is to review concisely the current state-of-the-art literature and ascertain the potential of the Pfumvudza concept to enhance household food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation as it is promoted in Zimbabwe. The study relied heavily on data from print and electronic media. Datasets pertaining to carbon, nitrous oxide and methane storage in soils and crop yield under zero tillage and conventional tillage were compiled. Findings show that, compared to conventional farming, Pfumvudza has great potential to contribute towards household food security and reducing carbon emissions if implemented following the stipulated recommendations. These include among others, adequate land preparation and timely planting and acquiring inputs. However, nitrous oxide emissions tend to increase with reduced tillage and, the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides is environmentally unfriendly.

Download Full-text

The relationship between childhood adversity and food insecurity: ‘It’s like a bird nesting in your head’

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980014003036 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 2643-2653 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Mariana Chilton ◽

Molly Knowles ◽

Jenny Rabinowich ◽

Kimberly T Arnold

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Emotional Health ◽

Childhood Adversity ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Household Food ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

The Impact

AbstractObjectiveAdverse childhood experiences, including abuse, neglect and household instability, affect lifelong health and economic potential. The present study investigates how adverse childhood experiences are associated with food insecurity by exploring caregivers’ perceptions of the impact of their childhood adversity on educational attainment, employment and mental health.DesignSemi-structured audio-recorded in-person interviews that included (i) quantitative measures of maternal and child health, adverse childhood experiences (range: 0–10) and food security using the US Household Food Security Survey Module; and (ii) qualitative audio-recorded investigations of experiences with abuse, neglect, violence and hunger over participants’ lifetimes.SettingHouseholds in Philadelphia, PA, USA.SubjectsThirty-one mothers of children <4 years old who reported low or very low household food security.ResultsTwenty-one caregivers (68 %) reported four or more adverse childhood experiences, and this severity was significantly associated with reports of very low food security (Fisher’s exact P=0·021). Mothers reporting emotional and physical abuse were more likely to report very low food security (Fisher’s exact P=0·032). Qualitatively, participants described the impact of childhood adverse experiences with emotional and physical abuse/neglect, and household substance abuse, on their emotional health, school performance and ability to maintain employment. In turn, these experiences negatively affected their ability to protect their children from food insecurity.ConclusionsThe associations between mothers’ adverse experiences in childhood and reports of current household food security should inspire researchers, advocates and policy makers to comprehensively address family hardship through greater attention to the emotional health of caregivers. Programmes meant to address nutritional deprivation and financial hardship should include trauma-informed approaches that integrate behavioural interventions.

Download Full-text

Ketahanan Pangan Rumah Tangga dan Kejadian Kurang Energi Kronis (KEK) pada Ibu Hamil Suku Anak dalam Desa Bungku Kabupaten Batanghari

Jurnal Akademika Baiturrahim Jambi ◽

10.36565/jab.v9i1.190 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 92

Author(s):

Arnati Wulansari

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Measuring Instruments ◽

Energy Deficiency ◽

Household Food ◽

Food Shortages ◽

The Impact ◽

Spearman Test

Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) is the impact of poor nutritional status of pregnant women. One of determining factors that influence the nutritional status is household food security. The purpose of this study was to determine household food security and incidence of CED in pregnant women’s Suku Anak Dalam in Bungku Village Batanghari Regency. This study used crossectional study design and using a total sampling of 31 pregnant women. Measuring instruments using questionnaires and CED measured using CUA ribbon and energy intake 2x24 hours measuredby recall. Data analysis were used univariate and bivariate (spearman test). The results showed that the majority of respondent experienced the risk of CED(67.7%). As many as 45.2% household experienced food shortages. Most of respondent who experienced food shortages also have risk of CED was 25.8%. The results showed an correlation between food security and risk of CED (P<0.05).

Download Full-text

Impact of Farm Households’ Adaptations to Climate Change on Food Security: Evidence from Different Agro-ecologies of Pakistan

The Pakistan Development Review ◽

10.30541/v55i4i-iipp.561-588 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 55 (4I-II) ◽

pp. 561-588 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Munir Ahmad Gattoo ◽

Ghulam Mustafa ◽

Muhammad Iqbal

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Food Security ◽

Treatment Effects ◽

New Technologies ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Farm Households ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Farm Income ◽

Household Food ◽

The Impact

The study used data from 3298 food crop growers in Pakistan. Potential outcome treatment effects model was applied to evaluate the impact of adaptations on household food security. A household Food Security Index (FSI) was constructed applying Principle Component Analysis (PCA). Adaptation strategies employed by the farmers in response to climate change were categorised into four groups namely: changes in sowing time (C1); input intensification (C2); water and soil conservation (C3); and changes in varieties (C4). Out of 15 mutually exclusive combinations constructed for evaluation, only 7 combinations were considered for estimating the treatment effects models because of limited number of observations in other cases. Results of only two of the 7 are discussed in the paper, as the other 5 had very small number of adapters and the impact measures shown either insignificant results or had opposite signs. The first (C1234) combined all the four, while the second (C234) combined the last three strategies. The results suggest that the households which adapted to climate changes were statistically significantly more food secure as compared to those who did not adapt. The results further show that education of the male and female heads, livestock ownership, the structure of house—both bricked and having electricity facility, crops diversification, and non-farm income are among the factors, which raise the food security of farm households and their impacts are statistically significant. The variables which are significantly negatively associated with the food security levels include age of the head of household, food expenditure management, households having less than 12.5 acres of land— defined as marginal (cultivate 6.25 to 12.5 acres). Farmers of cotton-wheat, rice-wheat, and rain-fed cropping systems are found to be more food secure as compared to the farmers working in the mixed cropping systems where farm holdings are relatively small and high use of tube-well water adding to salinity of soils. It is crucial to invest in the development of agricultural technological packages, addressing issues of climate change relevant to different ecologies and farming systems; improve research-extension-farmer linkages; enhance farmers‘ access to new technologies; improve rural infrastructure; development of weather information system linking meteorological department, extension and farmers; and establishment of targeted food safety nets as well as farm subsidy programs for marginal farm households.

Download Full-text

The Impact of remittances on household food security: Evidence from a survey in Bangladesh

Migration and Development ◽

10.1080/21632324.2020.1787097 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Mohammad Moniruzzaman

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Human Development and Food Sovereignty: A Step Closer to Achieving Food Security in South Africa’s Rural Households

Journal of Asian and African Studies ◽

10.1177/0021909619875757 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 330-350

Author(s):

Grace Mbajiorgu

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Human Development ◽

Food Sovereignty ◽

Rural Households ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Security Strategy ◽

Agricultural Technologies ◽

Household Food ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Food Needs

Food security strategies are determined by the prevailing realities within households and communities. Therefore, it is not surprising that in South Africa agricultural transformation is an important food security strategy. This article examines the role of human development and food sovereignty in fostering conditions that enable rural households to enhance their food security capabilities. Using an in-depth analysis of literature, national, regional and international instruments, this article takes its departure from the fact that subsistence agriculture is an effective strategy for improving household food needs when implemented within the broader human rights framework of human development. The results reveal that agriculture has the potential to increase household food security if appropriate agricultural technologies and productive resources such as land are made accessible to households. Further, for agriculture to attain optimal efficiency as a food security strategy, policies on agrarian transformation should be implemented within broader social development programmes.

Download Full-text

COVID-19: The Impact of a Complex Disaster on Household Food Security in Caribbean SIDS

10.1007/978-981-16-5285-1_23 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 403-424

Author(s):

Tracy Marshall ◽

Arlette Saint Ville ◽

Lystra Fletcher-Paul ◽

Wendy-Ann Isaac

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Emergency Food Assistance in Northern Syria: An Evaluation of Transfer Programs in Idleb Governorate

Food and Nutrition Bulletin ◽

10.1177/0379572117700755 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 240-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Shannon Doocy ◽

Hannah Tappis ◽

Emily Lyles ◽

Joseph Witiw ◽

Vicki Aken

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Food Assistance ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Level ◽

Transfer Programs ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Household Food ◽

Voucher Programs ◽

The Impact

Background: The war in Syria has left millions struggling to survive amidst violent conflict, pervasive unemployment, and food insecurity. Although international assistance funding is also at an all-time high, it is insufficient to meet the needs of conflict-affected populations, and there is increasing pressure on humanitarian stakeholders to find more efficient, effective ways to provide assistance. Objective: To evaluate 3 different assistance programs (in-kind food commodities, food vouchers, and unrestricted vouchers) in Idleb Governorate of Syria from December 2014 and March 2015. Methods: The evaluation used repeated survey data from beneficiary households to determine whether assistance was successful in maintaining food security at the household level. Shopkeeper surveys and program monitoring data were used to assess the impact on markets at the district/governorate levels and compare the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of transfer modalities. Results: Both in-kind food assistance and voucher programs showed positive effects on household food security and economic measures in Idleb; however, no intervention was successful in improving all outcomes measured. Food transfers were more likely to improve food access and food security than vouchers and unrestricted vouchers. Voucher programs were found to be more cost-efficient than in-kind food assistance, and more cost-effective for increasing household food consumption. Conclusion: Continuation of multiple types of transfer programs, including both in-kind assistance and vouchers, will allow humanitarian actors to remain responsive to evolving access and security considerations, local needs, and market dynamics.

Download Full-text