Food Security Status: Its Drivers and Coping Strategies among Vegetable Farming Households

Cercetari Economice in Moldova

article

Ridwan MUKAILA¹  Abraham FALOLA²  Olubunmi Abayomi OMOTESHO² 

[1] Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nigeria;Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Ilorin

关键词: food insecurity;    calorie intake;    rural women;    coping strategies;    vegetableproduction.;   

DOI  :  10.46909/cerce-2020-035

学科分类：农业科学（综合）

来源: Universitatea de Stiinte Agricole si Medicina Veterinara "Ion Ionescu de la Brad"

【 摘 要 】

Food insecurity remains amajor challenge worldwide, especiallyamong the rural areas of developingnation. Women and children are mostvulnerable to this phenomenon. However,while many studies have assessed farminghouseholds’ food security statusin general,there is dearth of information on vegetablefarmers’, who are mostly women, foodsecurity status in particular. This study,therefore, investigated the food securitystatus of vegetable farming households,its drivers and coping strategies in KwaraState, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics, foodinsecurity index and logistic regressionwere used to analysed data collected from180 respondents. The findings showedthat food insecurity remains a majorchallenge in rural areas as only 45.55%were food secure. The food secure groupsurpassed the food security line by 17%.Food insecure group fell below the foodsecurity line by 36% with a daily averagecalorie intake of 1581.35 kcal. Annualincome (p< 0.1), cooperative membership(p< 0.1), vegetable production (p< 0.05)and access to credit (p< 0.05) were thesignificant factors enhancing their foodsecurity status, while household size(p< 0.01) negatively influenced it. Thewidely used food insecurity copingmechanisms by the households wereeating less expensive food, eating wildfruits, reducing rational consumption,allowing children to eat first, borrowingmoney to buy food, buying food on creditand skipping meal within a day. The studyrecommends encouragement of vegetableproduction through provision of creditfacilities to the farmers as this wouldenhance their food security status.

【 授权许可】

Unknown