Analysis of food insecurity challenges and coping Strategies among households in the North-West province of South Africa
Soladoye, Dorcas Opeyemi
Soladoye, Dorcas Opeyemi
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Abstract
Household food insecurity persists among rural dwellers in most South African provinces. There is a diverse group of strategies employed by affected households to cope with inadequate food. However, a plethora of limitations plagues coping strategies, which further deepens the threat to the food security status of villagers who adopt them. This study investigated food insecurity related challenges experienced by rural households in North-West Province, South Africa. The study also identified and evaluated the coping strategies adopted by the households to combat food insecurity. The study used secondary household data to achieve the objectives. The results of the study revealed that food insecurity threatened 23.33% of households and there was a wide economic inequality, as shown by income distribution in the study area. Other results showed that food purchases served as the major source of food commodities consumed. Further results indicated that the major challenges for households to meet their food needs include increases in food prices, cost of food production, and household size. However, the study identified that adjustments to household eating patterns and seeking alternative sources of financing for food purchases as the major coping mechanisms of food insecurity. In this study, little government intervention was recorded for the food insecure house. An intensification of government intervention and extension services through a review of existing ones, the development and implementation of new interventions focusing more on capacity building through technical knowledge and skill acquisition, job creation and providing resources (mainly land and farming inputs) for rural households to fully practice food production.
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Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Agricultural Science, Department of Crop Sciences, Faculty of Science
Date
2021
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
food insecurity, food challenges, households, coping strategies