Relationships between land tenure insecurity, agrobiodiversity, and dietary diversity of women of reproductive age: Evidence from Acholi and Teso subregions of Uganda

Abstract

Land tenure security is central to food security of rural agricultural‐dependent communities, but there is limited evidence linking the state of agrobiodiversity to perception of land tenure security and access to and quality of food eaten. This study explores this relationship using data captured from 1,279 households in Acholi and Teso subregions of Uganda, and the relationships are established using a study sample of 1,227 women of reproductive age (WRA). Sixteen percent of respondents perceived themselves to be land tenure insecure. Although approximately 275 species were reported available for food, household access to a variety of plant and animal species is limited to <10 species by 69% of the study population. Dietary diversity was also low, with 53% of women meeting minimum diet diversity. Evidence from estimation of a generalized Poisson regression reveals that dietary diversity of WRA is consistently, positively correlated with species diversity available for food and negative with land tenure insecurity. A unit increase in species diversity led to 18% increase in dietary diversity of WRAs. Land tenure insecurity was likely to reduce dietary diversity of WRAs by 26% ( p < .05). Interventions with an aim to increase species diversity can deliver positive dividends for food and nutrition security. Land policy reforms and interventions that strengthen land tenure security for both men and women are likely to contribute positively to dietary diversity leading to improved food and nutrition security of vulnerable communities in rural areas.

Determinants of minimum dietary diversity of lactating mothers in rural northern region of Bangladesh: A community-based cross-sectional study

“…This tendency was also found in other studies in rural Mali [ 16 ] and Nepal [ 7 ]. Other studies also showed that higher income has a higher chance of MDD-W [ 45 , 48 , 62 ]. Another finding from Ethiopia revealed that lactating mothers from wealthy families were more likely to have minimum dietary diversity [ 52 ].…”

How Livelihood Change Affects Food Choice Behaviors in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

“…Articles were combined across food choice behaviors, excluding an additional 21 duplications. A total of 53 articles were included in the analysis ( Table 1 ) [ [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] , [48] , [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] , [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , [57] , [58] , [59] , [60] , [61] , [62] , [63] , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] ], from Africa ( n = 25), Asia ( n = 24), Latin America ( n = 3), and mixed LMIC regions ( n = 2). Sixteen were qualitative, 20 quantitative, and 17 were mixed methods.…”

“…Of those that used quantitative methods, 3 were longitudinal, 2 were randomized control trials, and all others were cross-sectional. Five recurring mechanisms of how livelihood changes affect food choice behaviors in LMIC were identified: occupation, locality, time, income, and social relations ( Table 2 [ [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] , [48] , [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] , [53] , [55] , [56] , [57] , [58] , [59] , [60] , [61] , [62] , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] ] and Figure 2 ).…”

“…Livelihood characteristics were consistently identified as central to food choice. Findings from the DFC program portfolio guided initial conceptualization of the relationships between livelihoods and food consumption, and also informed the scope of this literature review [ [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] ].…”

The Future of Sustainable Development and Agrobiodiversity in Tanzania and Uganda

“…It is wellestablished that increasing agrobiodiversity is a vital and sustainable farm-and landscapemanagement strategy that helps control pests, diseases, and weather-related stress [3][4][5]. Increased agrobiodiversity has also been linked with improved human diets [6][7][8]. In developing country contexts, it can be an effective strategy to overcome challenges associated with population growth and climate change [9].…”