Drivers of household food availability in sub-Saharan Africa based on big data from small farms

Abstract

We calculated a simple indicator of food availability using data from 93 sites in 17 countries across contrasted agroecologies in subSaharan Africa (>13,000 farm households) and analyzed the drivers of variations in food availability. Crop production was the major source of energy, contributing 60% of food availability. The off-farm income contribution to food availability ranged from 12% for households without enough food available (18% of the total sample) to 27% for the 58% of households with sufficient food available. Using only three explanatory variables (household size, number of livestock, and land area), we were able to predict correctly the agricultural determined status of food availability for 72% of the households, but the relationships were strongly influenced by the degree of market access. Our analyses suggest that targeting poverty through improving market access and off-farm opportunities is a better strategy to increase food security than focusing on agricultural production and closing yield gaps. This calls for multisectoral policy harmonization, incentives, and diversification of employment sources rather than a singular focus on agricultural development. Recognizing and understanding diversity among smallholder farm households in sub-Saharan Africa is key for the design of policies that aim to improve food security.food security | smallholder farmers | yield gap | resource scarcity | farm size A chieving sustainable food security (i.e., the basic right of people to produce and/or purchase the food they need, without harming the social and biophysical environment) is a major challenge in a world of rapid human population growth and large-scale changes in economic development (1). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), production on smallholder farms is critical to the food security of the rural poor (2) and contributes the majority of food production at the national level. National policies and local interventions have profound impacts on the opportunities and constraints that affect smallholders (3). However, policy frameworks that aim to improve food security and rural livelihoods in the developing world face many uncertainties and often fail (4).The formulation of effective policies needs adequate information on how different options affect the complex issues surrounding food security and sustainable development. A complication in generating such information is the large diversity within and among smallholder farming systems. Agroecological conditions, markets, and local cultures determine land use patterns and agricultural management across regions, whereas within a given region, farm households differ in many ways, including resource endowment, production orientation and objectives, ethnicity, education, past experience, management skills, and in the farm households' attitude toward risk. Policies by their nature have to be widely applicable, but recognizing this diversity in farm households is key to designing more effective policies to help poor farmers (5). Understanding the main drivers of ho...

Food availability and livelihood strategies among rural households across Uganda

“…This food availability indicator closely correlates to well-established indicators such as the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) (Hammond et al 2016). Frelat et al (2016) observed that household food availability improved with increasing dependency on off-farm activities, suggesting diverse strategies among rural households. Frelat et al (2016) analysed cross-sectional household data from more than 13,000 households across 97 locations in 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet their spatial coverage across the continent in general and Uganda in particular was poor; e.g.…”

“…For each household a simple food availability (FA) indicator was calculated following Frelat et al (2016). The FA indicator (FA) estimates the average amount of potential food energy that is available to each male adult household member equivalent per day [kcal cap…”

“…clothing, school fees, transport). The indicator thus shows the potential to obtain sufficient energy for the household, and not whether this actually occurs (Frelat et al 2016). We also assumed that the amount of crops consumed by the household was the difference between the reported quantities harvested and sold.…”

“…Frelat et al (2016) observed that household food availability improved with increasing dependency on off-farm activities, suggesting diverse strategies among rural households. Frelat et al (2016) analysed cross-sectional household data from more than 13,000 households across 97 locations in 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet their spatial coverage across the continent in general and Uganda in particular was poor; e.g. no data from northern and eastern Uganda were included.…”

“…No single indicator can capture all four dimensions of food security (Carletto et al 2013). Frelat et al (2016) developed a simple food availability indicator using information on household on-and off-farm activities of smallholders. This food availability indicator closely correlates to well-established indicators such as the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) (Hammond et al 2016).…”