scholarly journals The Extent of Participation in Urban Agriculture and Its Effect on Food Security in Africa and Asia: Evidence from Ghana and India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Kwasi Bannor ◽  
Mohit Sharma ◽  
Helena Oppong-Kyeremeh
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Free Food ◽  
Seemingly Unrelated Regression ◽  
Extension Education ◽  
Urban Food Security ◽  
Urban Households ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Unrelated Regression

Abstract This study examined the factors that influence the extent of urban agriculture participation and its effect on food security in Ghana and India. A total of six hundred and fifty urban agriculture farmers were interviewed for this study in Ghana and India. Food security status of urban households was assessed by the use of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale whereas the determinants of the extent of urban agriculture and its effect on food security were analysed by the use of the heteroskedastic linear regression and the Seemingly Unrelated Regression models, respectively. From the study on average, households in Ghana were mildly food insecure, but that of India was moderately food insecure. The results further revealed that, various demographic, economic, institutional and health and nutrition factors differently influenced urban food security and urban agriculture. Also, the extent of urban agriculture participation positively influenced food security. It is recommended that, Governments and NGOs interested in the reduction of urban food insecurity should aggressively advocate for urban agriculture in urban households through extension education. Interests could be stimulated by gleaning on health benefits of urban agriculture such as producing safe and nutritious food, the opportunity to consume chemical-free food and pursue urban agriculture as a business. The implication for research is that similar studies can be conducted in other emerging urban cities in Africa and Asia for the advocacy for specific urban food security policies and programmes.

Extent of urban agriculture and food security: evidence from Ghana and India

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-455
Author(s):  
Richard Kwasi Bannor ◽  
Mohit Sharma ◽  
Helena Oppong-Kyeremeh
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Seemingly Unrelated Regression ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Urban Food Security ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Unrelated Regression ◽  
Agriculture And Food

PurposeThe study attempted to assess the food security status of urban agriculture households in Ghana and India. Also, the extent of urban agriculture participation and its effect on food security in Ghana and India were examined.Design/methodology/approachA total of 650 urban agriculture farmers were interviewed for this study in Ghana and India. Food security status of urban households was assessed by the use of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, whereas the determinants of the extent of urban agriculture and its effect on food security were analysed by the use of the heteroskedastic linear regression and the Seemingly Unrelated Regression models, respectively.FindingsFrom the study on average, households in Ghana were mildly food insecure, but that of India was moderately food insecure. The results further revealed that various demographic, economic, institutional and health and nutrition factors differently influenced urban food security and urban agriculture. Also, the extent of urban agriculture participation positively influenced food security.Originality/valueSeveral studies in Asia (India) and Africa (Ghana) on urban food security have been geographically limited to New Delhi, Mumbai and Greater Accra, with few studies in the Middle Belt of Ghana, and Bihar in India. Besides, there is a limited, rigorous, empirical study on the effect of the extent of UA on food security in Asia (India) and Africa (Ghana) individually and together. Moreover, we extend the frontiers of the methodological approach by applying the Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) model to understand if the factors that affect food-security accessibility based on two food security accessibility tools are correlated.

scholarly journals Characteristics associated with changes in food security status among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Soldavini ◽  
Hazael Andrew ◽  
Maureen Berner
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Security Module ◽  
Adult Food

Abstract The prevalence of food insecurity in the USA has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, past studies have not examined how the food security status of college students has been impacted. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the prevalence of food insecurity; determine the proportion of students experiencing a change in food security status; and identify characteristics associated with changes in food security status from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of college students. We administered a cross-sectional online survey to students from a large public university in the Southeastern USA. The 10-item U.S. Adult Food Security Module was used to assess food security status during the spring 2020 semester both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and students self-reported a variety of individual characteristics. The overall prevalence of food insecurity increased by approximately one-third during the spring 2020 semester from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. When examining the types of changes in food security status experienced by students, 12% improved, 68% stayed the same, and 20% worsened. A variety of characteristics were associated with an improvement or worsening of food security status category from before to during the pandemic. Similar to what is seen in other reports, we found that the overall proportion of college students in our sample experiencing food insecurity increased during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, some students showed improvements in food security status. Approaches for addressing food insecurity during and beyond the pandemic are needed.

scholarly journals Assessment of hired labour use and food security among rural farming households in Kwara State, Nigeria

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kemi Omotesho ◽  
Azeez Muhammad-Lawal ◽  
Damilare Ismaila
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Extension Education ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Agricultural Credit ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Older Farmers ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Farming Households

This study examined the relationship between hired labour use and food security among rural farming households in Kwara State, Nigeria. It determined the food security status of rural farming households and investigated the determinants of hired labour use. A four-stage random sampling technique was used to select 135 rural farming households from which data were collected with the use of a well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and the Tobit regression model were the analytical tools used for the study. The study revealed that only about half of the households (51.1%) were food secure and that there is a positive correlation between the hired labour use and their food security status. Dependency ratio, age and educational qualification of the household head, total household size, and household income significantly influenced hired labour use (p<0.01). The study recommends the need for agricultural credit schemes in Nigeria to accord higher priority to older farmers and poor rural households. In addition, extension education which emphasizes agriculture as a business rather than a mere way of life should be promoted among farmers.

scholarly journals Measuring household food security: the global experience

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (suppl) ◽  
pp. 27s-37s ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Melgar-Quinonez ◽  
Michelle Hackett
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
New Research

Measuring household food insecurity represents a challenge due to the complexity and wide array of factors associated with this phenomenon. For over one decade, researchers and agencies throughout the world have been using and assessing the validity of variations of the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Supplemental Module. Thanks to numerous studies of diverse design, size, and purpose, the Household Food Security Supplemental Module has shown its suitability to directly evaluate the perceptions of individuals on their food security status. In addition, challenges and limitations are becoming clearer and new research questions are emerging as the process advances. The purpose of this article is to describe the development, validation procedures, and use of the Household Food Security Supplemental Module in very diverse settings. The most common Household Food Security Supplemental Module related studies have been conducted using criterion validity, Rasch modeling and Cronbach-Alpha Coefficient. It is critical that researchers, policy makers, governmental and non-governmental agencies intensify their efforts to further develop tools that provide valid and reliable measures of food security in diverse population groups. Additional work is needed to synthesize a universally applicable tool able to capture the global human phenomenon of food insecurity.

scholarly journals Food insecurity, psychosocial health and academic performance among college and university students in Georgia, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 476-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilana G Raskind ◽  
Regine Haardörfer ◽  
Carla J Berg
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Food Security ◽  
University Students ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Psychosocial Health ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
College And University ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Effect Of Food

AbstractObjectiveTo examine whether psychosocial health mediates the association between food insecurity and grade point average (GPA) among college and university students.DesignData for the present study are from a longitudinal cohort study. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the proposed mediation hypothesis. Food insecurity was measured using the US Department of Agriculture’s Six-Item Short Form. Psychosocial health was operationalized as a latent factor with three indicators: depression, anxiety and hope. Validated scales were used to measure each indicator. GPA was self-reported.SettingSeven colleges and universities in Georgia, USA.ParticipantsStudents aged 18–25 years were recruited via email and surveyed every four months over a two-year period (analytic n 2377).ResultsApproximately 29 % of students were food insecure. In the final SEM, food insecurity was associated (standardized β, se) with poorer psychosocial health (0·22, 0·03, P<0·0001) and poorer psychosocial health was associated with a lower GPA (−0·21, 0·03, P<0·0001). The indirect effect of food security status on GPA, as mediated by psychosocial health, was significant (−0·05, 0·01, P<0·0001) and accounted for 73 % of the total effect. After accounting for psychosocial health, the direct effect of food security status on GPA was not significant (−0·02, 0·02, P=0·43).ConclusionsPsychosocial health may be an important mechanism through which food insecurity affects academic performance among college and university students. Multicomponent interventions that address immediate food security needs as well as co-occurring mental health and academic concerns are needed to ensure student success.

Abstract P317: An Activity Space Approach to Assessing the Food Environments of Food Secure and Insecure Women

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilana G Raskind ◽  
Michelle C Kegler ◽  
Michael R Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Spatial Behavior ◽  
Activity Space ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Spatial Mobility ◽  
Activity Spaces ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Space Approach

Introduction: Community food environments (FE) are an important correlate of diet- and weight-related CV health. Conventional approaches to measuring the FE focus on residential neighborhoods, and do not assess the full extent of food sources regularly encountered and used. Further, little attention has been given to how individual diet-related experiences, like food insecurity, may interact with features of the FE to affect health. To address these limitations, we use an activity space approach, defined by the locations women routinely visit, to measure FE exposure and use, and assess differences by food security status. Hypothesis: Food-related spatial behavior and features of the FE differ between a) conventional and activity space definitions, and b) food secure and insecure women. Methods: We present initial results (n=51) from an ongoing clinic-based study of low-income African American women in Atlanta, GA. Data are collected in-person using a Google Map-powered activity space questionnaire. USDA’s 10-item adult scale is used to measure food insecurity. Retail FE data are from Dun & Bradstreet. ArcGIS 10.5 was used to define three environments: residential census tract (CT), and convex hull polygons of overall and food-specific activity spaces. We tested differences, by food security status, in mean behaviors and FE features with one-way ANOVAs. Results: Eighty-eight percent of women were food insecure. Food insecure women were lower income, less often employed, and less often had access to a car. CTs contained fewer supermarkets (μ=1.2 SD =1.4) and fast food restaurants (μ=3.9 SD =3.2) than activity spaces (μ=7.9 SD =7.0; μ=55.5 SD =44.1, respectively). On average, 6.7% ( SD =13.5) of utilized food sources fell within CT bounds, while 53.4% ( SD =35.5) fell within activity spaces. Compared to food secure women, food insecure women had smaller overall (μ=329.8km 2 SD =340.4 vs. μ=548.3km 2 SD =422.4; p =0.16) and food-specific (μ=48.1km 2 SD =74.3 vs. μ=85.6km 2 SD =106.4; p =0.28) activity spaces, and a smaller proportion of their utilized supermarkets fell within their activity spaces (μ=60.9% SD =42.4 vs. μ=81.9% SD =21.4; p =0.24). FE features did not differ by food security status. Conclusions: Conventional FE definitions likely underestimate the number of food sources women encounter, and do not capture the majority of sources used. Smaller activity spaces among food insecure women suggest that routine spatial mobility may be constrained by factors like transportation access. Still, food insecure women more often traveled outside of their activity spaces to utilize supermarkets, suggesting a dual burden of constrained spatial mobility and access. Interestingly, FE features did not differ by food security status. In planned future analyses, any observed differences in diet and weight may indicate variation in how women interact with the FE, rather than differences in exposure.

scholarly journals Comparing measures of urban food security in Accra, Ghana

Food Security ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cascade Tuholske ◽  
Kwaw Andam ◽  
Jordan Blekking ◽  
Tom Evans ◽  
Kelly Caylor
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Urban Food Security ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Food Insecurity Access

AbstractThe urban population in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to expand by nearly 800 million people in the next 30 years. How this rapid urban transition is affecting household-level urban food security, and reverberating into broader food systems, is poorly understood. To fill this gap, we use data from a 2017 survey (n = 668) of low- and middle-income residents of Accra, Ghana, to characterize and compare the predictors of household-level food security using three established metrics: the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS); the Household Food Insecurity Access Prevalence (HFIAP); and the Food Consumption Score (FCS). According to HFIAP, 70% of sampled households are food insecure, but only 2% fall below acceptable thresholds measured by FCS. Only one household reported sourcing food from modern supermarkets and fewer than 3% produce food for consumption through gardening, farming, or fishing. Instead, households rely on purchased food from traditional markets, local stalls and kiosks, and street hawkers. Results from a suite of general linear models show that household assets, education, and demographic characteristics are significantly associated with food security outcomes according to HFIAS and HFIAP. The poor correlation and weak model agreement between dietary recall such as FCS, and experience-based food security metrics, like HFIAS and HFIAP, highlight limitations of employing historically rural-centric food security measurement approaches within the urban context. Given that Sub-Saharan Africa’s future is urban, our results add empirical evidence in support of the growing chorus of scholars advocating for comprehensive urban-oriented food security research and policy agendas across Sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals Food Security Status is Associated with Academic Performance in Undergraduate and Graduate Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 282-282
Author(s):  
Jessica Soldavini ◽  
Maureen Berner
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
University Of North Carolina ◽  
High Food ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Chapel Hill ◽  
Food Security Status

Abstract Objectives To assess the association between food security status and outcomes related to academic performance in undergraduate and graduate students. Methods This cross-sectional analysis used data from 4897 students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who completed an online questionnaire in October and November of 2016. Food security status was assessed using the 10-item US Adult Food Security Survey Module. Students were classified as experiencing high food security, marginal food security, or food insecurity. Students rated their perceived academic performance using a 4-item academic performance scale (APS) that included items related to overall progress towards graduating on time, class attendance, attention span, and understanding of concepts taught in class. Students also self-reported GPA, whether they had taken fewer classes to save tuition money, and demographic information. Multinomial logistic regression and multiple linear regression assessed the association between food security status and academic performance-related outcomes separately for undergraduate and graduate students. GPA was only examined for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Statistical significance was considered P &lt; .05. Results The proportion of students reporting high food security, marginal food security, and food insecurity was 52%, 25%, and 23%, respectively, for undergraduate students and 62%, 17% and 21%, respectively, for graduate students. GPA was negatively associated with experiencing marginal food security (P = .009) and food insecurity (P &lt; .001). APS scores were negatively associated with marginal food security and food insecurity for both undergraduate and graduate students (P &lt; .001). Undergraduate and graduate students who experienced marginal food security and food insecurity were significantly more likely to select lower ratings for perceived academic performance on each APS scale item and report sometimes or often taking fewer classes to save tuition. Conclusions Experiencing marginal food security and food insecurity were negatively associated with outcomes related to academic performance among both undergraduate and graduate students. Funding Sources University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Food for All micro-grant.

scholarly journals Household food security status and associated factors among high-school students in Esfahan, Iran

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1609-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assieh Mohammadzadeh ◽  
Ahmadreza Dorosty ◽  
Mohammadreza Eshraghian
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
School Students ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Food Insecure Households

AbstractObjectiveThe present study was designed to determine household food security status and factors associated with food insecurity among high-school students in Esfahan, Iran.DesignCross-sectional surveys.SettingThe present study was conducted in autumn 2008 in Esfahan, Iran. The samples were selected using systematic cluster sampling. Socio-economic questionnaires, food security questionnaires and FFQ were filled out during face-to-face interviews. In addition, data on participants’ weights and heights were collected.SubjectsA total of 580 students (261 boys and 319 girls) aged 14–17 years from forty high schools in Esfahan, Iran, were selected.ResultsThe prevalence of household food insecurity according to the US Department of Agriculture food security questionnaire was 36·6 % (95 % CI 0·33, 0·40). Food insecurity was positively associated with number of members in the household (P < 0·05) and negatively associated with parental education level and job status and household economic status (P < 0·05). Moreover, students living in food-insecure households more frequently consumed bread, macaroni, potato and egg (P < 0·05), while they less frequently consumed rice, red meat, sausage and hamburger, poultry, fish, green vegetables, root and bulb (coloured) vegetables, melons, apples and oranges, milk and yoghurt (P < 0·05).ConclusionsFood insecurity was prevalent among households in Esfahan, Iran, and food security status was associated with socio-economic factors. Students who belonged to food-secure households more frequently consumed healthy foods (except sausage and hamburger), whereas those living in food-insecure households more frequently consumed cheap foods containing high energy per kilogram. The present study suggests that intervention programmes be designed and carried out.

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