Crop Diversification: A Potential Strategy To Mitigate Food Insecurity by Smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa

Njeru, Ezekiel Mugendi

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2013.034.006

Cited by 40 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 35 publications

(39 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This study thus confirms findings of other research on the topic of the importance of crop diversification as a potential strategy to mitigate food insecurity by smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa [61]. A diverse range of crops enhances food security for several reasons-it can increase yield stability, result in more diversified human diets, and lead to more regular and reliable household income that allows purchase of additional food [61].…”

Section: Determinants Of Food Security For All Households Per Each Sitesupporting

confidence: 87%

Households and food security: lessons from food secure households in East Africa

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background:What are the key factors that contribute to household-level food security? What lessons can we learn from food secure households? What agricultural options and management strategies are likely to benefit femaleheaded households in particular? This paper addresses these questions using a unique dataset of 600 households that allows us to explore a wide range of indicators capturing different aspects of performance and well-being for different types of households-female-headed, male-headed, food secure, food insecure-and assess livelihoods options and strategies and how they influence food security. The analysis is based on a detailed farm household survey carried out in three sites in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.Results: Our results suggest that food insecurity may not be more severe for female-headed households than maleheaded households. We found that food secure farming households have a wider variety of crops on their farms and are more market oriented than are the food insecure. More domestic assets do not make female-headed households more food secure. For the other categories of assets (livestock, transport, and productive), we did not find evidence of a correlation with food security. Different livelihood portfolios are being pursued by male versus female-headed households, with female-headed households less likely to grow high-value crops and more likely to have a less diversified crop portfolio. Conclusions:These findings help identify local, national and regional policies and actions for enhancing food security of female-headed as well as male-headed households. These include interventions that improve households' access to information, e.g., though innovative communication and knowledge-sharing efforts and support aimed at enhancing women's and men's agricultural market opportunities.

show abstract

Section: Determinants Of Food Security For All Households Per Each Sitesupporting

confidence: 87%

Households and food security: lessons from food secure households in East Africa

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Crop diversification is based on cultivating more than one variety of crops belonging to the same or different species in a given area. Crop diversification is one way of developing a resilient agricultural system, especially where communities depend largely on agricultural products (food and fodder) for their livelihoods [7,8]. Crop diversification is also one of the most ecologically, feasible, cost-effective and rational ways of reducing uncertainties in agriculture, especially among small-scale farmers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Crop diversification is also one of the most ecologically, feasible, cost-effective and rational ways of reducing uncertainties in agriculture, especially among small-scale farmers. In addition, crop diversification brings about higher and spatial temporal biodiversity on the farm and increases resilience, i.e., the ability of an ecosystem to return to its original productive state after being disturbed [7]. According to Di Falco and Chavas [9], cultivating several crop species can also help smallholder farmers to manage price and production risks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is renewed global interest in crop diversification, mainly ascribed to the present rising concerns about loss of biodiversity, environmental and human health [7]. This therefore calls for scientific expertise in carrying out research of the various aspects of crop diversification that could provide alternative and more viable tactics for crop production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The role of crop diversification in improving household food security in central Malawi

Mango¹,

Makate²,

Mapemba

et al. 2018

Agric & Food Secur

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: This paper concerns the role of crop diversification in improving household food security in central Malawi. In this country, the agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder farming and rain-fed food production systems that are facing increasing challenges from land degradation and declining soil fertility. Maize is the staple food crop, and as such, the majority of farmers grow it regardless of land suitability. This has led to what scientists have labeled as "maize poverty trap. " In the event of prolonged drought, maize fails thus leaving farmers food insecure. However, research in Sub-Saharan Africa has shown that crop diversification provides smallholder farmers with a diversity of diet, improves their income, and nutrition security. Due to increased cases of malnutrition and food insecurity, in the wake of climate change, government of Malawi has in the past few years intensified extension efforts for crop diversification. Methods:The study is based on a sample of 271 randomly selected smallholder farming households from central Malawi. It investigates the influence of crop diversification and other household socioeconomic characteristics on the household Food Consumption Score and Household Food Insecurity Access Score. In our analysis, we rely heavily on a combination of ordinary least squares techniques and some descriptive statistics. Results:Our results show that crop diversification, cattle ownership, access to credit and attaining of education have a positive and significant effect on the household Food Consumption Score. Precisely, crop diversification, cattle ownership and access to credit are all significant at 5% level, while education is significant at 10%. In addition, crop diversification and attaining of formal education by household head were found to have a negative and significant effect on Household Food Insecurity Access Score and were all significant at 1% level. Conclusion and policy recommendation:Based on our study findings, we conclude that crop diversification is one viable option in smallholder farming that can ensure establishment of resilient agricultural systems that can contribute significantly to household food security. In terms of policy, the results imply that the current efforts by government of Malawi to intensify promotion of crop diversification should remain a priority policy direction due to the continued malnutrition and food insecurity threat. This is particularly so in this era of climate variability that poses an extra burden to farmers.

show abstract

“…Benefits of agrobiodiversity to the smallholder agroecosystems include risk mitigation where low-input farmers use different crop varieties and livestock to address the risk brought about by diseases, drought, pest and even volatile markets [18,19]. Commercialization of native crop varieties, tree products, indigenous fruits, medicinal plants among others can generate income to smallholder farmers, thus improving their living standards [20].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Agrobiodiversity conservation enhances food security in subsistence-based farming systems of Eastern Kenya

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Globally, there is great concern about expanding agricultural activities due to their impact in the conservation of agrobiodiversity. African continent is known for its richness in biodiversity. In Kenya, there is a continuous unabated expansion of agriculture into natural habitats due to demographic and economic pressures posing a significant threat to biodiversity. Therefore, there is a need to study biodiversity loss and its regain through practices in agricultural landscapes. In this study, we assessed the status of agrobiodiversity and its contribution to food security in four agroecological zones of Eastern Kenya. Sixty households were sampled from two selected agroecological zones (upper and lower midland zones) in Embu and Tharaka-Nithi counties. Structured questionnaires and checklists were used to collect the data.Results: Thirty-nine crop species were identified dominated by vegetables, fruits, legumes and cereals with relative densities of 28.8, 20.5, 18.3 and 8.3 %, respectively. Embu Lower Midland and Tharaka-Nithi Lower Midland zones had relatively higher crop species richness of 243 and 240, respectively, and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices (H′) of 3.403 and 3.377, respectively, compared with Embu Upper Midland and Tharaka-Nithi Upper Midland zones with species richness of 229 and 207, respectively, and H′ of 3.298 and 3.204, respectively. Conclusions:Households from lower midland zones with high crop diversity and richness were more food secure compared with those from the Upper Midland zones with low crop diversity and richness. These findings suggest that farm production systems with high agrobiodiversity contributed more toward food security among smallholder farmers in the selected sites.

show abstract

Crop Diversification: A Potential Strategy To Mitigate Food Insecurity by Smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 40 publications

References 35 publications

Households and food security: lessons from food secure households in East Africa

Households and food security: lessons from food secure households in East Africa

The role of crop diversification in improving household food security in central Malawi

Agrobiodiversity conservation enhances food security in subsistence-based farming systems of Eastern Kenya

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About