scholarly journals Food security situations among female headed households in Enugu East Senatorial Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 100-112
Author(s):  
Remigius. I. Ozioko ◽  
Blessing. C. Nwigwe ◽  
Anthonia. N. Asadu ◽  
Miracle. I. Nwafor ◽  
Onyinyechi. I. Nnadi ◽  
...  

The study examined food security situation of female-headed households in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study identified livelihood activities of respondents, ascertained the food security situation, examined constraints to food security, and examined coping strategies of respondents. Multi-stage sampling procedure, snow ball and simple random techniques were used to select 72 female-headed households. Data were analyzed using mean score and factor analysis. Results showed that respondents livelihood activities included crop production (77.8%), processing and sale of palm produce (43.1%) and processing of farm produce (38.9%). Household food security situations included food secure to moderately food-insecure. Major constraints to food security of the respondents were poverty ( x̄ =2.52), lack of education and skill ( x̄ =2.50), poor rural infrastructure ( x̄ =2.50) and poor nutrition education ( x̄ =2.54). Coping strategies included restriction of food consumption of adults ( x̄ =2.21) reducing food consumption per day ( x̄ =2.00) and staying hungry ( x̄ =2.04). The study concludes that the households in the area were grossly food insecure as they spent more of their meager earning only on food. There was poor nutrition education and lack of productive skills. Poverty was found to be a major cause of food insecurity in the area as it robs people the option of fine choices. Hence, government and other development agencies should provide policies and efforts that assist Female headed households in capacity building like providing them with productive resources which will expand their scope of livelihood choices. Keywords: Food security, female headed household, food situation, poverty

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terrence Kairiza ◽  
George Kembo ◽  
Vengesai Magadzire ◽  
Asankha Pallegedara

PurposeIn the absence of well-developed financial markets, Informal Savings and Loans Associations (ISLAs) provide rural households with an alternative consumption coping mechanisms when confronted by transitory and seasonal food insecurity. The purpose of this study is to investigate the household food consumption coping strategies and gendered importance of ISLAs in improving household food security in rural Zimbabwe.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses household panel data on rural livelihoods from the 2019 and 2020 household surveys conducted by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC). Employing propensity score matching approach to cater for the self-selection bias associated with household ISLA membership, the study estimates average treatment effect of household ISLA membership on food security and gendered importance of the propensity of the household to engage in consumption coping strategies.FindingsResults shows that the ISLA membership increases household food security and reduces the household propensity to apply non-ISLA consumption coping mechanisms. Female-headed households with ISLA members are more able to increase food security as well as reduce reliance on non-ISLA consumption coping mechanisms than their male counterparts with ISLA members.Research limitations/implicationsUse of household dietary diversity score and food consumption score as two proxies to measure household food security.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on food consumption coping strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa using recent household panel data.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 565-581
Author(s):  
Wilson Chukwukasi Kassy ◽  
Anne C Ndu ◽  
Chinyere Cecilia Okeke ◽  
Elisa Chwike Aniwada

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Primrose Ngema ◽  
Melusi Sibanda ◽  
Lovemore Musemwa

Food security at the household level remains a major issue in South Africa and for many other developing countries, particularly those in Africa. As a means of ensuring food security in KwaZulu-Natal province, various food security intervention programmes were launched. Nonetheless, food security remains an issue among households in the province. This paper estimates the household food security status of the “One Home One Garden” (OHOG) beneficiaries against that of non-beneficiaries and assesses the determinants of household food security status in Maphumulo. A stratified random sampling technique was used to sample 495 households (including 330 OHOG beneficiaries and 165 non-beneficiaries). The status of household food security was estimated by means of a “Household Dietary Diversity Score” (HDDS). Additionally, a Household Food Consumption Score” (HFCS) tool was employed to supplement the HDDS. The results showed that food consumption patterns were characterized by medium (4.89) and average (4.22) HDDS for the OHOG beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, respectively. Taking HDDS as a proxy for household food security, an independent samples t-test (Levene’s test—equal variances assumed) reveals a significant (p < 0.001) relationship between the sample means of the two groups. A greater proportion (65%) of the OHOG beneficiaries had an acceptable (≥35) HFCS level, whereas just over half (54%) of the non-beneficiaries fell in the borderline (21.5 to 35) HFCS level. The determinants of household food security status were elicited by means of a binary logistic regression model. The results revealed that education (p = 0.036), receiving infrastructural support (irrigation) (p = 0.001), and participation in the OHOG programme (p = 0.000) positively influenced the food security status of households, yet household income (p = 0.000) and access to credit (p = 0.002) showed a negative correlation. This paper proposes that government and developmental agencies, in their efforts to enhance food security through food security intervention programmes, should support households by investing in education and agricultural infrastructure, as well as giving priority to smallholder infrastructural irrigation support for households that largely rely on rain-fed systems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1851
Author(s):  
Priviledge Cheteni ◽  
Yohane Khamfula ◽  
Gisele Mah

Food security is one of the most severe challenges facing the majority of African countries. The objective of this study was to explore household food dietary diversity and food security in a rural area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A total of 296 household heads were randomly sampled to participate in the study. The Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and Household Food Consumption Score (HFCS) were used to identify the consumption patterns of the households and their food security status. Meanwhile, a binary model was used to identify the variables that had an impact on household food security. Findings from the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) revealed that 61 percent of the households had lower dietary diversity and were consuming at least three food groups, which mainly include pulses, milk, and cereals. The results from the Household Food Consumption Score (HFCS), however, showed that the majority of the households had adequate levels of food consumption. The binary model revealed that age, household income, access to credit, and gender are statistically significant in influencing household food security status in the study area. It can be concluded that household dietary diversity is not guaranteed by food security, as proven by the regression model. Therefore, the government should consider the impact of low income on food security and it should intensify efforts directed at helping rural households to reduce incidences of food insecurity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-102
Author(s):  
A.J. Madugu

Abstract. This study investigated the food security status of female-headed households (FHHs) in Mubi north local government area (LGA) of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Specifically, the socio economic characteristics and determinants of household food security status of respondents were tested. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 80 female headed households using simple random sampling technique from five districts of Mubi north LGA. Analytical tools used were the food security index (FSI) and Binary Logit Regression Analysis. The results showed that majority (57.9%) of the respondents were middle aged, having 1-5 persons in their household and cultivating about 1-3 hectares of land. It further showed that most of the respondents (63.8%) were food insecure. The result further showed that age, household size, educational status, and access to input were significant and therefore regarded as the major determinants of food security in the study area. It also showed that extension service was not significant and thus not a determinant of food security among the respondents. The study concluded that female headed households in the study area were food insecure; it was thus recommended that NGOs, CSOs and other actors should focus more on agricultural activities by providing inputs so as to improve food production and household food security index, furthermore, the result showed that extension service did not influence food security status of respondents, thus, private extension service providers should be established to assist the government in the provision of intensive extension contact/services, this can help to improve food production and subsequent food security status of respondents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Gosdin ◽  
Diane Baik ◽  
Kate Reinsma ◽  
David Raminashvili ◽  
Hen Heang ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) is widely used though it has limited cross-cultural applicability. Among families with underweight children in three Cambodian districts, the HFIAS-derived prevalence of moderate/severe food insecurity was about 45%, though interviewers reported that caregivers have difficulty understanding the questions.This study seeks to develop a locally appropriate tool for measuring household food security in Cambodia. Methods Caregivers of children ages 6–24 months were screened using the Household Hunger Scale. Following Coping Strategies Index (CSI) guidance, three focus group discussions (FGD) were held with 25 food insecure caregivers from 10 villages. Participants developed a list of coping strategies in response to the question, “What do you do when you do not have enough food, and do not have enough money to buy food?” By consensus, participants weighted coping strategies in order of increasing severity. Strategies were assessed for inclusion using CSI criteria. The research and local teams combined the three lists into a single tool maintaining much of the local vocabulary. Results FGD 1 identified 16 coping strategies: one was excluded because it could not be done readily, and two were combined. FGD 2 identified 16: one was excluded because it was not repeatable, and four were combined into two. FGD 3 identified 19: six were combined into three. Seven strategies were identified in all three FGDs and seven were identified in two FGDs. Four strategies were identified in only one FGD. The resulting index is comprised of 18 coping strategies. Three strategies were weighted least severe (1). Example: “Eat rice without fish or meat.” Seven were weighted somewhat severe (2). Example: “Make food last longer by eating smaller portions and keeping it for longer than intended.” Five were weighted as more severe (3). Example: “Sell or consume seed stock held for next season.” Three strategies were weighted as most severe (4). Example: “Borrow rice or money from a lender or employer with high interest.” Conclusions Context-specific coping strategies may be useful in measuring food security in Cambodia. Future research is needed to examine the validity of this tool in comparison to established food insecurity experiences scales. Funding Sources World Vision Hong Kong. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs


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