Proceedings: 1st International Conference on Food and Agricultural Economics: ASSESSING THE SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTION TO HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY AMONG SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN GEDARIF AND RAHAD LOCALITIES OF EASTERN SUDAN

The study aims to assess the impact of socio-cultural factors affect household food security including women participation among small scale farmers in Gedarif and Rahad localities "high agriculture production area" from eastern Sudan. Data used relies heavily on the results of sample survey of 336 households covered 8 villages collected during 2014. Analytical techniques employed included descriptive statistics, and multinomial regression model to examine the impact of socio-cultural factors (including participation of women in household food security) affect food security among the households surveyed. The study has shown that,significant positive effect of household who have a woman contributing in food processing and a household who live in Gedarif locality have significant potential importance for increasing food security in the study areas. However, a household who have a women contributing in farm activities, a household who live in Gedarif locality and a household head who employing in agriculture are statistically significant for decreasing middy household food insecurity access. An increasing in household wealth has significant impact of reducing middy household food insecurity access. Moreover, a household who have a woman contributing in food processing and engaging in income generation activity; and a household who live in Gedarif locality have significant potential importance for reducing moderately household food insecurity access. Furthermore, a household who have a woman contributing in food processing and a household who live in Gedarif locality have significant potential importance for reducing severity of household food insecurity access. Gedarif locality exhibits better food security compared to Rahad due to the fact that, Gedarif characterized by nonfarm activities which allows women to diversify their income sources and food; and hence reducing food insecurity of households. Therefore, based on the findings in this study, the major policy implication is that the crucial role of women in this context can greatly be enhanced through adoption of supportive national and local development policies, such as agriculture reform, create non-farm income opportunity for women, especially in rural areas where most of population live. Moreover, access land in support of women, micro credit, technology, extension, training, empowering and advocacy of women, and raising their capacity building; as well as the enhancing horticulture and livestock sector in favour of women, should be recommended to reduce food insecurity in perspective of women contribution. Increasing farm and off-farm opportunities are significant policy that might reduce food insecurity in perspective of women contribution. Raising capabilities and train women in means of empowering woman are most significant policy that reducing food insecurity through access to credit and training to raise their capacity building to manage their small income generation activities and follow- up.