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Social capital dimensions in household food security interventions: implications for rural Uganda

Author

Listed:
  • Haroon Sseguya

    (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Regional Hub for East Africa
    Makerere University)

  • Robert E. Mazur

    (Iowa State University)

  • Cornelia B. Flora

    (Iowa State University)

Abstract

We demonstrate that social capital is associated with positive food security outcomes, using survey data from 378 households in rural Uganda. We measured food security with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. For social capital, we measured cognitive and structural indicators, with principal components analysis used to identify key factors of the concept for logistic regression analysis. Households with bridging and linking social capital, characterized by membership in groups, access to information from external institutions, and observance of norms in groups, tended to be more food secure. Households with cognitive social capital, characterized by observance of generalized norms and mutual trust, were also more food secure than others. However, we established that social capital is, by itself, insufficient. It needs to be complemented with human capital enhancement. We recommend that development interventions which focus on strengthening community associations and networks to enhance food security should support activities which enhance cognitive social capital and human capital skills. Such activities include mutual goal setting, trust building and clear communication among actors. Education efforts for community members, both formal and non-formal, should also be supported such that they potentially strengthen social capital to improve food security in rural Uganda.

Suggested Citation

  • Haroon Sseguya & Robert E. Mazur & Cornelia B. Flora, 2018. "Social capital dimensions in household food security interventions: implications for rural Uganda," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(1), pages 117-129, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:35:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s10460-017-9805-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-017-9805-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Manyanga, Mark & Murendo, Conrad & Pedzisa, Tarisayi & Mutyasira, Vine & Ndou, Richard, 2023. "Resilience capacities and implications for food security in Zimbabwe," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 17(4), February.
    3. Ailish Craig & Craig W. Hutton & Justin Sheffield, 2022. "Social Capital Typologies and Sustainable Development: Spatial Patterns in the Central and Southern Regions of Malawi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-23, July.
    4. Karnik, Harshada & Peterson, Hikaru Hanawa, 2023. "Food security among low-income immigrant households and the role of social capital: A case study of Somali-American households in the Midwestern United States," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    5. Marandure, Tawanda & Dzama, Kennedy & Bennett, James & Makombe, Godswill & Mapiye, Cletos, 2020. "Application of system dynamics modelling in evaluating sustainability of low-input ruminant farming systems in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 438(C).
    6. Saeed Nosratabadi & Nesrine Khazami & Marwa Ben Abdallah & Zoltan Lackner & Shahab S. Band & Amir Mosavi & Csaba Mako, 2020. "Social Capital Contributions to Food Security: A Comprehensive Literature Review," Papers 2012.03606, arXiv.org.
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    9. Wegenast, Tim & Richetta, Cécile & Krauser, Mario & Leibik, Alexander, 2022. "Grabbed trust? The impact of large-scale land acquisitions on social trust in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    10. Olayemi M. Olabiyi, 2022. "The effect of bureaucratic corruption on household food insecurity: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(2), pages 437-450, April.
    11. Yongfeng Tan & Apurbo Sarkar & Airin Rahman & Lu Qian & Waqar Hussain Memon & Zharkyn Magzhan, 2021. "Does External Shock Influence Farmer’s Adoption of Modern Irrigation Technology?—A Case of Gansu Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
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    13. Mousumi Das, 2021. "Vulnerability to Food Insecurity: A Decomposition Exercise for Rural India using the Expected Utility Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 167-199, July.

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