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<p>Food and nutritional (in)security remain an important matter of concern, especially in developing countries. Despite the efforts to enhance food security among smallholder soybean households, the proportion of the undernourished population in Butere Sub-County still remains high for unknown reasons. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of food security among smallholder soybean households in Butere Sub-County, Kenya. The study adopted the exploratory research design. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a sample of 201 respondents. Cross-sectional data were gathered through face-to-face interviews using pretested semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed using ordered logistic regression model. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale was used to measure and categorize the soybean household food (in)security status. The results revealed that the household food (in)security status differed across soybean households and was greatly influenced by an interplay of socio-economic, market, and institutional factors. Age of the household head negatively influenced food security, whereas the level of soybean commercialization, education, livestock units, network density, extension visits, and credit access were positively associated with household food security. The study recommends policy interventions that seek to ensure intensive literacy development, frequent extension and training, improved access to credit, and reinvestment in productive assets or inputs for increased production, commercialization and food security. Strengthening of social ties and increased allocation to safety net programs for the aged, vulnerable, and resource-poor households are also recommended.</p>
</abstract>

Food and nutritional (in)security remain an important matter of concern, especially in developing countries. Despite the efforts to enhance food security among smallholder soybean households, the proportion of the undernourished population in Butere Sub-County still remains high for unknown reasons. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of food security among smallholder soybean households in Butere Sub-County, Kenya. The study adopted the exploratory research design. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a sample of 201 respondents. Cross-sectional data were gathered through face-to-face interviews using pretested semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed using ordered logistic regression model. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale was used to measure and categorize the soybean household food (in)security status. The results revealed that the household food (in)security status differed across soybean households and was greatly influenced by an interplay of socio-economic, market, and institutional factors. Age of the household head negatively influenced food security, whereas the level of soybean commercialization, education, livestock units, network density, extension visits, and credit access were positively associated with household food security. The study recommends policy interventions that seek to ensure intensive literacy development, frequent extension and training, improved access to credit, and reinvestment in productive assets or inputs for increased production, commercialization and food security. Strengthening of social ties and increased allocation to safety net programs for the aged, vulnerable, and resource-poor households are also recommended.

Determinants of Food Security Among Small-Scale Soybean Households in Butere Sub-County, Kenya

Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management

Contemporary Agriculture

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Food and nutritional (in)security remain an important matter of concern, especially in developing countries. Despite the efforts to enhance food security among...

Determinants of Food Security Among Small-Scale Soybean Households in Butere Sub-County, Kenya

Publié en ligne: 18 nov. 2020

Pages: 90 - 101

Reçu: 25 mai 2020

Accepté: 18 juil. 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/contagri-2020-0012

Mots clés
soybean, undernourished, determinants, commercialization, food security, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale

© 2020 Robert Ouko Gwada et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Determinants of Food Security Among Small-Scale Soybean Households in Butere Sub-County, Kenya

Publié en ligne: 18 nov. 2020

Pages: 90 - 101

Reçu: 25 mai 2020

Accepté: 18 juil. 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/contagri-2020-0012

Mots cléssoybean, undernourished, determinants, commercialization, food security, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale

© 2020 Robert Ouko Gwada et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mots clés
soybean, undernourished, determinants, commercialization, food security, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale