Assessment of welfare shocks and food insecurity in Ephraim Mogale and Greater Tubatse municipality of Sekhukhune districts, Limpopo province, South Africa

10^th Global Summit on Food Safety, Processing & Technology

December 05-07, 2016 San Antonio, USA

Peter Temitope Agboola and Samuel Oduniyi

University of South Africa, South Africa

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Exp Food Chem

Abstract :

This study has assessed the welfare shocks and household food insecurity in Ephraim Mogale and Greater Tubatse municipality of Sekhukhune district, Limpopo province in South Africa. The aim of this study is to identify shocks affecting livelihood at household level and also to determine the food insecurity status of households. Structured questionnaire was administered for data collection. 200 households were involved in the study with 100 households selected from each municipality. All response from the questionnaires was tabulated and processed with the use of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) programme. Three analytical tools were used to achieve the objectives of the study such as, descriptive statistics, household food insecurity assessment scale (HFIAS) and linear regression model. Majority of households experienced different form of shocks in their households. Increase in food prices, high level of livestock disease, drought, death of a household member and chronic illness such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis were the most important shocks experienced. Approximately 22.2% of households were characterized as being food secure, 32.2% as mildly food insecure, 34.2% as moderately food insecure while 11.4% were severely food insecure. The main determinants of food security from the sample survey were education, unskilled wage labor, grants, pension and disability funds whereby high-level of livestock diseases, illness or accidental loss, death of a household member tends to expose households to higher risk of food insecurity. Policy recommendations are made on promoting education in the rural areas. High priority should be given to industrialization in the district which will in turn boost the rate of employment and also add to the economic growth. Policy measures should be made in supporting people and organizations on how to respond to shocks and stresses experienced in their communities.

Biography :

Peter Temitope Agboola is a Young Researcher who obtained his Bachelor of Technology Honours degree in Agricultural Economics and Extension at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo state. Nigeria. He also holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Science at the University of South Africa. He has post qualification experience as an Agricultural Scientist and lecturing various agricultural management modules at the University of South Africa. His research focus is on assessing household food security in rural areas.

Email: teetop32000@gmail.com