Determinants of Food Security among Forest-Based Households in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The growth of food insecurity kept increasing despite numerous policies and programmes geared towards improving the living standards of rural households in Nigeria. This study assessed the determinants of food security among forest-based households in Oyo state, Nigeria by obtaining data from 240 respondents with the aid of well-structured questionnaires and interview guide. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive statistics and logit regression model. The result of the descriptive statistics showed that the mean age of the respondents was ±42, about 65% of the respondents were female while 60% were married and about 43% had primary education. Also, the results revealed that most respondents (67%) produced food by themselves, 65% of them took two square meals per day and 70% skip meals as a coping strategy due to insufficient food. Furthermore, logistic regression model reveals that sex, household size, household’s head income and land ownership have significant effects on rural household food security in the study area. The study thus recommends that food stabilization and creation of job opportunities such as crafting and agro- allied activities should be given a desired attention in the rural area.

Keywords: Food security, forest-resources,determinants, per capita expenditure