Impact of Rural-Urban Migration on the Food Consumption Pattern of Farming Households in Ibadan/Ibarapa Agricultural Zone of Oyo State, Nigeria

The study examined the impact of rural-urban migration on the food consumption pattern of farming households. The study revealed that 73.8% of the households had migrants, while 80.2% of the migrants were male. The highest level of education of most of the migrants was secondary school (71.4%). The study showed that the major reason (63.3%) for migration was for job. The average remittance sent per year was ₦108,119.14. The study revealed that household expenditure on carbohydrate food group accounted for 54.4% of the total households' expenditure on food. The average dietary diversity indices for the migrant (0.345) and non-migrant (0.346) households were low. The study revealed that migration (short and long term) positively influenced per capita food expenditure of respondent. Despite the remittance from some of the migrants, the need to develop the rural areas in terms of provision of basic infrastructures by government is imperative in order to reduce rural-urban migration.

Do Foreign Remittances Matter in Attaining Zero Hunger?

Foreign remittance has remained a major source of income and a means to reduce hunger for many poor people in developing countries. The contribution of foreign remittances to food insecurity status of rural households in Nigeria was assessed using data from 2015/2016 Living Standard Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA). Food insecurity status was achieved using the household food insecurity access scale. Data were analysed using descriptive, ordered, and nested logit models. Female-headed households residing in south-east zone with 51 to 70 years old heads and more than six members had greater access to remittances but were severely food insecure. Drivers of food insecurity were age, gender, marital status, education of the household head, membership of cooperatives, access to extension, farm size and per capita income, and living in the north central geo-political zone. Foreign remittances had a positive effect on the food insecurity status of rural households.

Does Gender Inclusion Really Matter in Sustainable Food Systems?

Over the past decades, the food systems in developing countries have transformed rapidly. However, the rise in social inequalities has negatively affected, the vulnerable groups as the benefits associated with these transformations are still skewed. This chapter examined the role of gender inclusiveness in promoting sustainable food systems. Employment trends revealed that agricultural employment was higher among males. Five asymmetries (assets, access to agricultural market, access to technology, resilience and risks, and decision making) were identified as limitations to sustainable food systems stemming from the gender differentiated roles. The gender action learning system methodology was adopted using strategies such as empowering men and women through community action learning during catalyst workshops, gender mainstreaming for innovation and institutional change at organizational level, and through advocacy network for policy improvement at the national level. The study concluded that gender inclusion played a crucial role in achieving sustainable food systems.

Training Needs Assessment of Palm Oil Processors in Ijebu North Local Government Area, Ogun State

The study assessed training needs of palm oil processors in Ogun State, Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from 90 palm oil processors. The data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Majority of the respondents were young, married, and experienced in palm oil processing. Women are mostly involved in palm oil processing using manual method of processing with oil palm fruits sourced more from family farms. Respondents require training for manual and mechanized processing methods. Socioeconomic factors have significant influence on different stages of palm oil processing. Poor extension service, high cost of labour, and processing machine were the most perceived constraints to palm oil processing in the study area. The study therefore concludes that there is need for training in oil palm processing. Extension service providers should intensify efforts in this regard so as to boost the palm oil supply both within and outside the country.

Implications of Land Grabbing on Sustainable Food Systems

Land is one of the most valuable assets required for agricultural production. In Africa, smallholder agricultural producers are faced with a lot of challenges that have highly impacted on productivity and sustainable food systems. The global demand for agricultural land for food and bio-fuel production has increasingly led to the emergence of land grabbing after the 2007-08 food price crisis. The rural poor are the victim of land grabbing as they are faced with declining farmlands, low income generation, and loss of livelihood activities. These have affected the food security status of the rural poor as farmlands are taken from them. The proponents of land grabbing revealed that developing countries are expected to benefit from investments inflow on grabbed land, development of infrastructure, increased income generation, and job creation. They argue that investment in agriculture is necessary to stimulate agricultural production; however, this situation has brought negative effects as most investors failed to keep their end of the transaction on land acquisition deals.

The Price Insurance Demand of Rice Producers in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Using the dichotomous choice contingent valuation method, this chapter helps shed light on the potential for marker-based insurance schemes in Vietnam by empirically exploring the demand for minimum price insurance among rice households. The study showed that the majority of rice farmers accepted the guaranteed price of VND 4,500 per kg, and their accepted insurance fee was about 13% of the guaranteed price and 30% of the break-even price. Farmers growing rice under a monoculture system were less likely to pay for the proposed insurance service, while those with access to any formal credits were more likely to pay for it.

Multi-Stakeholder and Multilevel Food Governance

The contemporary food system, in its global and local dimensions, is a central element of the debate on the sustainability of the planet, a debate that increasingly involves more stakeholders and areas of knowledge in the search for answers to the multiple questions related to the attainment of more sustainable patterns for food and agriculture. The present chapter analyses the participative multi-stakeholder and multilevel model of food governance of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), in which stakeholders from different societal and expertise sectors participate in equal manners in the process of co-construction of institutional, technical, and financing measures for the functioning of a given food system. The present chapter has the main goal of sharing and critically analysing the CPLP´s institutional context for the promotion of sustainable food systems as an example of an integrated methodological approach to support the creation of coordinated public policies and institutional conditions to implement a transition to more sustainable food systems and diets.

Agricultural and Food Policy

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.

Women Land Rights and Food Security Status of Farming Households in Oyo State, Nigeria

The dominance of men in decision-making processes and leadership positions within the communities has made land allocation, land use, and control skewed in favour of men. This study examined the effects of women's land rights on households' food security status using a sample of 300 representative farmers. Descriptive statistics, household food expenditure, logistic regression, and ordered logit models were the analytical tools used. Results revealed that about 35% of the rural women farmers had land use rights while the remaining 65% had land ownership rights. Women with ownership rights were more food secure, with the majority of the women having residual rights, while only a few had sell rights. Secure women land rights are germane to achieving and sustaining household and national food security. Strategies and instruments for protecting women rights should be developed and implemented, while efforts geared towards designing strategies, assessing multiple dimensions of women empowerment for improved food security status, and welfare of the households should be intensified.

Multiple Scenarios-Based Impact Analysis of Predicted Land-Use Change on Ecosystem Services Value

This chapter investigates how land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes under different scenarios will affect ecosystem services provisions in Nigeria using multiple data sources. The Markov and dynamics of land system models were integrated to predict future LULC changes while the value transfer methodology was adopted to evaluate the economic value of ecosystem services. The results revealed varying patterns and trends of LULC change under the baseline, forest protection priority, and sustainable economic growth scenarios. Based on the predicted LULC change, the total ecosystem services value in Nigeria will decline under the baseline and forest protection priority scenarios but increase in the sustainable economic growth scenario. The sustainable economic growth scenario showed major positive impacts on the ecosystem service functions of recreation, climate regulation, soil formation, and erosion control. This study concludes that the sustainable economic growth scenario is the best to ensure expected production while safeguarding the environment in Nigeria.