Record Details

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

CGSpace

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title The role of crop diversification in improving household food security in central Malawi
 
Creator Mango, Nelson
Makate, Clifton
Mapemba, Lawrence
Sopo, Mathinda
 
Subject HOUSEHOLDS
HOGARES
FOOD SECURITY
SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA
CROP DIVERSIFICATION
FOOD CONSUMPTION
CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS
SMALLHOLDERS
MALAWI
 
Description 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.
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Peer Review
 
Date 2018-03-27T18:01:34Z
2018-03-27T18:01:34Z
2018-03
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Mango, N., Makate, C., Mapemba, L. and Sopo, M. (2018) The role of crop diversification in improving household food security in central Malawi, Agriculture & Food Security. BioMed Central, 7(1), p. 7.
2048-7010
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/91953
 
Language en
 
Format 7:7
 
Publisher BioMed Central Ltd.
 
Source Agriculture & Food Security