Abstract
Food insecurity within households is a risk to people’s livelihoods.
If not addressed in good time it could results into a disaster that
will require foreign intervention for that affected community.
Households in Bungoma county of Kenya were noted to be vulnerable to
food
insecurity due to low productivity and this state threatened peoples
livelihoods. The objective of this study was to examine the physical,
economic, environmental and social factors that led to low food
production in Bungoma County, Kenya. A cross-sectional survey design was
used
in the study and a cluster (multi-stage random) sample size of 384
households was selected. Tools used for data collection were
questionnaires,
interview guides, focus group discussions and observation checklists.
Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The
study
found that land size was small; the road network was poor and
disorganized market systems. The cost of farm inputs was high as well as
high
poverty levels.Climatic variability affected crops and animal production. Social
support, traditional beliefs and culture which discriminated against
women were key risk factors that contributed to low farm production,
making households vulnerable to food insecurity. Based on the findings,
the study concluded that low farm productions were attributed to
physical (Poor road networks and small land size), economic (poverty and
high cost of farm inputs), environmental (climate variability and
deforestation) and Social (cultural belief and negative attitude)
factors. The
study recommended that costs of farm inputs should be subsidized,
improve road network system and sensitize people on positive cultural
practices and attitude change to allow both gender participation on
issues of food security.
Factors Contributing to Low Productivity and #Food Insecurity in Bungoma County, Kenya by Mary Stella Wabwoba in BJSTR
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