Factors influencing household food security among smallholder farmers in the Mudzi district of Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article examines factors influencing household food security among smallholder farmers in Mudzi district of Zimbabwe. Data for this study were collected from 120 randomly selected households, using a structured questionnaire. Analytical techniques employed included descriptive statistics of respondents' characteristics and linear regression analysis to identify factors influencing their household food security. The results show that household dietary diversity is influenced by the age and education of the household head, household labour and size, livestock ownership, access to market information and remittances. Linear regression on another indicator, the household food insecurity access score, shows that labour, education of the household head, household size, remittances, livestock ownership and access to market information all affect household food security. The study therefore recommends that government and other development agencies enhance food security among smallholders through promoting labour-saving technologies, enhancing the flow of remittances to rural areas, facilitating access to market information, and farmer education.

Keywords:

• household food security
• household dietary diversity score
• household food insecurity access score
• smallholder farmers
• Zimbabwe

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial assistance of the International Fund for Agricultural Development and CIAT. They are also grateful to the language editor appointed by Development Southern Africa for editing the article.

Notes

⁶A ward is the second smallest administrative unit after the village and consists of several villages. Wards are given numbers rather than names, as some cut across several communities.