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Household Income Diversification and Food Insecurity in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Kilian Nasung Atuoye

    (University of Western Ontario)

  • Roger Antabe

    (University of Western Ontario)

  • Yujiro Sano

    (University of Western Ontario)

  • Isaac Luginaah

    (University of Western Ontario)

  • Jason Bayne

    (University of Western Ontario)

Abstract

Income diversification is promoted as one of the key strategies to address food insecurity. While its impact on food security is extensively examined, knowledge of this relationship in a resource poor context experiencing environmental variability and climate change is sparse. We examined income diversification and household food insecurity in a deprived context in Ghana—the Upper West Region. Employing multivariate ordered logistic regression, we analyzed cross-sectional survey data collected on household heads (n = 1438) to explain the association between income diversification and household food insecurity. We found that household heads who reported being highly income diversified were more likely to report being severely food insecure (OR = 1.09, p ≤ 0.001). Also, poorer households compared to the richest, and those headed by widows compared to those headed by married people were more likely to report being severely food insecure. Although income diversification is a necessary strategy for survival in the Upper West Region, this alone does not seem to alleviate food insecurity in some families. Given that the region experiences high deprivation and negative effects of environmental variability, we recommend expansion of the non-farm sector to create job opportunities, while implementing a comprehensive national food security policy to address tithing problems of food production and distribution in the Upper West Region, and in similar context.

Suggested Citation

  • Kilian Nasung Atuoye & Roger Antabe & Yujiro Sano & Isaac Luginaah & Jason Bayne, 2019. "Household Income Diversification and Food Insecurity in the Upper West Region of Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 899-920, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:144:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s11205-019-02062-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-019-02062-7
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    Cited by:

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    2. Mohammed, Kamaldeen & Batung, Evans & Kansanga, Moses Mosonsieyiri & Luginaah, Isaac, 2024. "Alcohol misuse as a social determinant of food insecurity among smallholder farmers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    3. William Adzawla & Prem S. Bindraban & Williams K. Atakora & Oumou Camara & Amadou Gouzaye, 2022. "Economic Viability of Smallholder Agriculture in the Savannah and Transitional Zones of Ghana: Implications of Farm Output Commercialization and Farm Diversification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Dingde Xu & Zhixing Ma & Xin Deng & Yi Liu & Kai Huang & Wenfeng Zhou & Zhuolin Yong, 2020. "Relationships between Land Management Scale and Livelihood Strategy Selection of Rural Households in China from the Perspective of Family Life Cycle," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, January.
    5. Alexis Beyuo & Nana Akua Anyidoho, 2022. "An Impact Assessment of Farmer Participation on Food Security in Northwestern Ghana," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1831-1856, August.
    6. Vicka Kharisma & Naoya Abe, 2020. "Food Insecurity and Associated Socioeconomic Factors: Application of Rasch and Binary Logistic Models with Household Survey Data in Three Megacities in Indonesia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 655-679, April.
    7. Evans Sumabe Batung & Kamaldeen Mohammed & Moses Mosonsieyiri Kansanga & Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong & Isaac Luginaah, 2023. "Credit access and perceived climate change resilience of smallholder farmers in semi-arid northern Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 321-350, January.
    8. Abdul‐Wadood Moomen & Divine Odame‐Appiah, 2023. "Examining the spatial incongruity between mining sector and beekeeping activities," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(2), pages 177-191, May.
    9. 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.

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