Food insecurity and coping strategies among rural households in Oyo State, Nigeria
2009
Adekoya, Adegbenga E.
Food insecurity is an issue that is growing in prevalence proportionately to the effort being put in place to combat it. Its being intractable is rather due to the global approach being employed instead of formulating and applying solutions based on specific locations with an understanding of the social system and livelihood activities. It is necessary to include food availability, affordability and accessibility as factors underpinning food security. Farm and related activities dominated the livelihood activities of the respondents to which individuals engaged in multiple activities. Much income inequality was demonstrated by the food items consumed and this highlighted the level of food insecurity among the respondents. Access to quality food was not the problem but rather affordability, and this limited most people to consuming lower quality food items. This established the existence of food insecurity in the area and necessitated the engagement of coping strategies by the people. All coping strategies engaged, however, exacerbated the level of food insecurity rather than reduce it. The strategies did not alleviate insecurity but ensured the continued existence of the people even if other living standards are compromised. For the respondents, food security is not an issue but rather survival.
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