Improving the income status of smallholder vegetable farmers through a homestead food garden intervention

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-254
Author(s):  
YT Bahta ◽  
Enoch Owusu-Sekyere
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Policy Intervention ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Income Status ◽  
Vegetable Farmers ◽  
Gross Margins

In this article, we assess how a homestead food garden intervention influences the income of participating vegetable farmers in South Africa. The findings show that there is a significant improvement in the income of these farmers. Specifically, the participating vegetable farmers observed an increment in their gross margins of between 39.28% and 44.49%. Our findings further indicate that households with larger farm plots have higher gross margins in a production season. The underlying impact of the participating households with farmland larger than one acre is a surge in growth margin of 35.33–44.61% relative to those owning less than1 acre. Given the benefits of the intervention, stakeholders and policymakers should expand the programme and design strategies that will foster participation. Policies to consider include the availability of farm plots and the readiness of the household to participate in vegetable production. Other Southern African Development Communities as an important food policy intervention, which can improve household income, can adopt the programme.

scholarly journals The impact of backyard gardening on livelihoods of households in Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng Province, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-41
Author(s):  
M. Thomas ◽  
S.E. Terblanche
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Primary Caretakers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of backyard gardening on the livelihoods of households in Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data were drawn from 60 household vegetable producers. A structured questionnaire was used to conduct one-on-one interviews to gather data which were then analysed to compare variables and the level of livelihoods of household vegetable production. The results suggested that variables such as gender, household size, marital status and household income influence vegetable production. Women, as the primary caretakers of children, were found to be more involved in vegetable production than men. The vegetable production increased when households were headed by females. Households indicated that the implementation and evaluation of the programme under study, which was successfully undertaken with the assistance of Agricultural Advisors from Gauteng’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), did impact their livelihoods positively. In conclusion, the study found that household vegetable projects can assist in alleviating poverty, create job opportunities and improve livelihoods of the community of Sedibeng District Municipality.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting the Productivity and Profitability of Vegetables Production in Swaziland

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micah Bheki Masuku ◽  
Bongiwe Xaba
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Local Production ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Vegetable Farmers ◽  
And Gender

Vegetables are not only beneficial for their contribution to the share of agriculture in the economy of Swaziland, but also have a significant probability to compete where there are fewer government regulations and restrictions in the economy. Currently, the local demand for vegetables is higher than local production and hence the gap is filled by imports from South Africa. At the NAMBoard’s fresh produce market, only 11 percent of the vegetables are from local production and the rest come from South Africa. The study aimed to identify factors affecting productivity and profitability of vegetable production. A two-stage sampling technique was used to collect data from 100 vegetable farmers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for data analysis. The results showed that the factors that significantly affected productivity of vegetable farmers were access to credit, selling price, fertiliser quantity, distance to market and gender of the farmer. For example, the selling price of carrot had a positive relationship with the productivity of vegetable farmers, suggesting that when the selling price of carrot increase by one unit, all else equal, the quantity of carrot produced would increase by 0.417 kilogrammes. The determinants of profitability of vegetable production were level of education, land under vegetable production and type of marketing agency. For example, with an additional year of education, profit would increase by E0.304. Policy makers should come up with policies that would improve productivity of vegetable farmers through the provision of seminars and workshops where farmers would acquire more training on vegetable production. This should enable them to increase the average yield of vegetables produced per hectare, hence profitability.  

scholarly journals Income Status and Life Satisfaction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix R. FitzRoy ◽  
Michael A. Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Income Status ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Reference Income ◽  
Relative Form ◽  
Retirement Status

AbstractThe importance of both income rank and relative income, as indicators of status, has long been recognised in the literature on life satisfaction and happiness. Recently, several authors have made explicit comparisons of the relative importance of these two measures of income status, and concluded that rank dominates to the extent that reference income becomes insignificant in regressions including both these explanatory variables, and that even absolute or household income, otherwise always positively related to happiness, may lose statistical significance. Here we test this hypothesis with a large UK panel (British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society) for 1996–2017, split by age and retirement status, and find, contrary to previous results, that rank, household income and reference income are all usually important explanatory variables, but with significant differences between subgroups. This finding holds when rank is in its often-used relative form, and also with absolute rank.

scholarly journals Household Vulnerability to Food Insecurity in Rural South Africa: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Survey Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1917
Author(s):  
Sandile Mthethwa ◽  
Edilegnaw Wale
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Rural Household ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Household Vulnerability ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Vulnerable Households

Using a nationally representative dataset from rural areas in South Africa, the study examines vulnerability to food insecurity using the Vulnerability as Expected Poverty framework. The dataset used was large and comprehensive to develop robust profiles of vulnerable households. This is executed employing the sustainable livelihoods framework. The findings show that human and financial capital plays a critical role in making rural households resilient from vulnerability to food insecurity. The failure of natural resources to support agricultural livelihoods emerged as an important factor for rural household vulnerability to food insecurity. Gender-based imbalances still prevail, explaining most of the rural household vulnerability to food insecurity. Female-dominated households still endure most of the prevailing vulnerabilities to food insecurity, and this is even worse for households headed by younger females. Policies, strategies, and institutions in South Africa have not been able to address household vulnerability to food insecurity. The study identified Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal as the most vulnerable provinces where food policy has to be a top priority agenda.

Abstract P220: Disparity In Hospital Admissions And Length Of Stay Based On Income Status For Emergency Department Hypertensive Crisis Visits: A Cross-sectional Study Using The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample

Hypertension ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shreya Srivastava ◽  
Bhargav Vemulapalli ◽  
Alexis K Okoh ◽  
John Kassotis
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Hypertensive Crisis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Delivery Of Care ◽  
Income Status ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
Income Quartile

Introduction: Racial, gender and lower socioeconomic status have been shown to negatively impact the delivery of care. How this impacts the management of hypertensive crisis (HC) remains unclear. Objective: Identify disparities on admission frequency and length of stay (LOS) among those presenting with HC, as a function of household income. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of 2016 ED visits and supplemental Inpatient data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Median household income quartiles were established. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate odds of admission in each income quartile. A multivariable linear regression model was used to predict LOS. Results: After applying sample weighting, the total number of ED visits was 33,728 with 25442, 6906, and 1380 visits for hypertensive urgency (HU), emergency (HE) and unspecified crisis, respectively. There were 13191, 8889, 6401, 5247 visits in the (1 st ) lowest, 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th (highest) income quartiles, respectively. The median age was 61 and 58 years for HU and HE, respectively. The most common comorbidity was chronic kidney disease. Individuals with the highest income, had a lower odds of admission compared to the lowest quartile [Adjusted Odds Ratio: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22,0.74] ( Figure 1a ). There was a significant linear association between income quartile and LOS across all HC and HE [beta coefficient: 0.411, 0.407 p value = 0.015, 0.019] ( Figure 1b ). Conclusions: In this study, patients with lower income were more likely to be admitted, while those with higher income exhibited a longer LOS. Clinicians must be made aware these disparities to ensure the equitable delivery of care.

Agricultural and Food Policy

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Abiodun Elijah Obayelu ◽  
Simeon Olusola Ayansina
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Policy Intervention ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Adequate Food ◽  
System Sustainability ◽  
Sustainable Food System

Policy plays significant role in defining the food system of any country, and a sustainable food system is necessary for food security. This chapter maps out the causal interactions between food systems, food security and policy, and the challenges in transition to a sustainable food system while respecting the rights of all people to have access to adequate food in Nigeria. Explicit, rigorous, and transparent literature search was undertaken and many articles were assessed and reviewed. Although the results established a mutual relationship between food system and food security, existing literature have widely failed to take interactions between food systems, food security and policy into account. While food production is used as an entry point to improving food system sustainability, the quest for food security are undermining transition towards sustainable food systems. It was found that without right policies in place, it may be difficult to have food systems that are sustainable and ensure food security. This chapter provides a useful contribution to policy, and research on transitions towards sustainable food system. Any policy intervention to address one part of the food systems will impact on other parts and will determine whether a country is food secure or not. Enabling policy environment is therefore essential in ensuring a sustainable food system and for the attainment of food security.

scholarly journals Technical and Resource Use Efficiency of Urban Vegetable Farming in the Kumasi Metropolis: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-103
Author(s):  
Adams Abdulai ◽  
Simon Cudjoe Fialor ◽  
John Eudes Andivi Bakang ◽  
Emmanuel Tetteh Jumpah
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Allocative Efficiency ◽  
Productive Efficiency ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Approach ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vegetable Farmers ◽  
The Government

The changing food demands by the teeming urban population, job search, and sector profitability have made vegetable production indispensable as it contributes to increased incomes and livelihoods of urban dwellers.This study investigated the current level of productive efficiency (technical and allocative) of vegetable farmers in the Kumasi Metropolis using cross-sectional data obtained from 135 sampled farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using the stochastic frontier approach to estimate firm-specific technical efficiencies and the factors that influence efficiency levels. The results show that inefficiency exists among the sampled vegetable farmers as they currently achieve an average technical efficiency score of 66.7%. Allocative efficiency estimates for land and labour revealed that both factors of production are over utilised by farmers. The age of the farmer is the main socio-economic determinant of technical efficiency.The study recommends that farmers be educated on the correct use of inputs by extension agents. The government policy of recruiting community extension agents under the ‘planting for food and jobs’ programme is in line with addressing inefficiency in the production sector and should be promoted.

Pell Grant Versus Income Data in Postsecondary Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 309-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Ochs Rosinger ◽  
Karly S. Ford
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Income Quintile ◽  
Pell Grant ◽  
Detailed Data ◽  
Low Income Students ◽  
Economic Diversity ◽  
Income Status ◽  
Income Data ◽  
Recent Policy

Given growing disparities in college enrollment by household income, policymakers and researchers often are interested in understanding whether policies expand access for low-income students. In this brief, we highlight the limitations of a commonly available measure of low-income status—whether students receive a federal Pell grant—and compare it to new data on enrollment by income quintile to evaluate a recent policy effort within elite colleges aimed at expanding access. We demonstrate that Pell is a rough measure of low-income status and that without more detailed data on colleges’ economic diversity, policy evaluations focusing on existing Pell data will suffer from measurement error and potentially miss enrollment effects for moderate- and high-income students.

scholarly journals Influence of Family Income Level on Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes in Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5523
Author(s):  
Ana Ballesta-Castillejos ◽  
Juan Gómez-Salgado ◽  
Julián Rodríguez-Almagro ◽  
Antonio Hernández-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Income Level ◽  
Socioeconomic Level ◽  
Confounding Factors ◽  
Income Status ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Spanish Health

For pregnant women, having a low family income status is associated with late prenatal attendance and an increased risk of adverse outcomes during pregnancy, delivery, and immediately after delivery. However, the influence of the socioeconomic level on maternal and child health may be minimal as long as the health system model is able to neutralise health inequity. For this reason, the objective of this study is to determine the relationship between the socioeconomic level assessed through monthly household income and obstetric and perinatal outcomes in the Spanish Health System, where midwives play a relevant role. To meet this objective, a cross-sectional observational study aimed at women who have been mothers between 2013 and 2018 in Spain was developed. The final study population was 5942 women. No statistically significant differences with linear trend were found between income level and obstetric and perinatal outcomes after the adjustment by confounding factors (pregnancy composite morbidity, p = 0.447; delivery composite morbidity, p = 0.590; perinatal composite morbidity, p = 0.082; postpartum composite morbidity, p = 0.407). The main conclusion is that, in the current Spanish health system, household income as an indicator of socioeconomic status is not related to perinatal outcomes after the adjustment by confounding factors. These results are likely due to the public model of our health system that serves all citizens on equal footing, although other social and individual factors may have influenced these results

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