The study was done to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices towards edible insects, their consumption and practices of harvesting and processing in Lango sub-region, with the aim of increasing their consumption and improving nutrition of the people. Data was collected using semi structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Common insect orders used as food in the area included: Isoptera (termites), Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets), and Hymenoptera (honey bee broods). Winged termites (Macrotermes spp.), locally known as Ngwen was consumed by more than 97% of the respondents. Soldier termites (Syntermes soldiers), locally called okok, were consumed by 73% of the respondents and crickets (Brachytrupes spp.), locally known as odir, was consumed by 69% of respondents. These insects were seasonally abundant and consumed in households in seasons of availability. Winged and soldier termites were harvested by attraction to light at the termite mound and by ‘termite fishing’ technique, respectively. Grasshoppers were harvested by hand picking from cropland bushes. Women and children were more actively involved in collection of insects than men. Pan frying, roasting, boiling followed by sun drying were the most common methods of processing insects. Dried insects were either served as snacks or a side dish. A main dish locally known as alakena is prepared from freshly ground termites. Dried winged termites were preserved for consumption at a later date. Women and children consumed more edible insects than men. The results show that insects are important as a food resource to the rural poor. However, majority of the respondents did not know that insects are nutritious. Therefore there is need to popularise consumption of edible insects in and outside the subregion through research on nutritional values of insects and documenting the information and processing insects using modern techniques in order to increase its commercial value and availability of insect products in all seasons.

In the absence of adequate support from formal social safety nets, rural households in Ethiopia have developed collective risksharing strategies to buffer them against adverse livelihood shocks, thus building their resilience capacities. Social capital and network based indigenous mutual support arrangements are the most important strategies that are institutionalized and widely practiced among rural households for centuries in Ethiopia to support households to cope with shocks. Nonetheless, resilience research and rural poverty alleviation policies have yet to fully recognize and embrace social capital as a tool to tackle poverty and vulnerability. Robust policy and academic studies on the role of indigenous welfare system with implications for social development policy making in Ethiopia are lacking. Using ethnographic techniques and simple descriptive statistics, we studied indigenous mutual support systems and how they shape the resilience trajectories of rural households against livelihood shocks within two selected PAs of Babille district of Oromia region. We found that mutual support practices are very effective in building coping resilience of households by smoothing consumption shocks. However, the traditional coping mechanisms often fail when the shock is systemic or covariate, when shocks last longer, and when a household has low level of human or finical capital.

Background: Drought is regarded as a leading cause of food insecurity affecting about 220 million people in subSaharan Africa. Drought early warning systems (DEWSs) have the potential to strengthen capacity of communities in managing and reducing drought effects through building preparedness and providing coping strategies. The Karamoja subregion is the only region with a functional DEWS in Uganda. The subregion suffers from effects of recurrent episodes of drought with negative impacts on food security. Despite having DEWS in place, the subregion remains the most food insecure in the country. The extent to which DEWS has contributed to household food security in the subregion remains unclear. This study determined the effect of DEWS on agro-pastoral household food security in the subregion. The study was conducted in Nakapiripirit and Kotido districts of the Karamoja. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 305 participating and non-participating households in DEWS. The effect of participating in DEWS on food security was analyzed using the generalized linear model. The level of food security and nutrition were measured using the household food insecurity access score and household dietary diversity score (HDDS), respectively. Results:Findings showed that all respondents had experienced food insecurity during the course of the year. Drought was indicated as the main cause of food insecurity in the households. Participation in DEWS significantly (p < 0.01) reduced the threat of food insecurity by 23.7% and increased the level of household nutrition by 30%. Better nutrition was realized in DEWS participating households (HDDS = 9.0) compared to non-participating households (HDDS = 6.6). Conclusion:Owing to intermittent drought events in the Karamoja subregion, DEWS contributes to household food security and nutrition by providing households with information on timely planting, crop diversification, farm equipment, drought management and drought-tolerant crop varieties. There is need for DEWS practitioners to focus on information dissemination, provision of drought-tolerant crops and provision of training opportunities to communities for increased production in semi-arid areas.

In rural African communities, the support of extended family, friends, and neighbours is essential in borrowing or leveraging land, labour, food, and money, especially at times of social and financial turmoil. Little is known, though, about the nature of the networks and the conditions under which they may generate greater support in post-conflict communities. This study, conducted in the Lira district of northern Uganda, examined the composition, proximity, and size of the networks that households utilise to gain access to resources during and after resettlement. Network structures with more kin and co-resident ties were found to offer greater resource access to households in post-conflict settings. Furthermore, there was a lack of meaningful linkages outside of a person's own village, especially with regard to households whose head has no or a low level of education. These findings enhance understanding of the specific role of relationships in social support for resource access among households in post-conflict communities.

In Uganda, agricultural commercialization has been promoted to reduce poverty and improve household food security. South-western Uganda, the major producer of potato, has been considered the food basket of the country but it has one of the highest prevalence rates of stunting in children under 5. This study considered potato enterprise as a key pathway for enhancing household food and nutrition security because it has become a major income source and staple in the diets of many households in the area and most urban areas in the country. The objective was to determine factors that influence farm household nutrition and food security outcomes. Through a survey, data were collected from 434 randomly selected potato farmer households. Descriptive and econometric methods were used in data analysis. Results show that household dietary diversity score was low (3.2) for most (57%) of the households. Only 38% were food secure. The main factors enhancing household nutrition outcomes were size of land, livestock units owned, proportion of household income spent on food, and education of household head, while farmer's experience in potato production had a negative effect. The size of land owned, crop diversification, income from potato, age and education of household head, and a famer being male enhanced household food security outcomes. The study recommends promoting improved production practices to maximize land productivity, integration of livestock in potato production, and training women and men in household food and nutrition and related use of income.