Gender inequality in livestock asset ownership: implication for food security in the WA west district, Ghana

Fuseini Nadi, Fred Nimoh, Ernestina Fredua Antoh and Richmond Anaman

Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development, 2021, vol. 62, issue 4

Abstract: Food security is a complex phenomenon involving socio-cultural and economic factors. This study examines the impact of gender inequality in livestock asset ownership on household food security in the Wa West District of Ghana. Data were collected from 400 households based on a crosssectional survey and a multistage sampling of the respondents. Gender disparity in livestock asset distribution among men and women within the household was ascertained using the Gini index. In contrast, the household food consumption score technique was employed to determine the household food security status. A binary logit regression model was used to assess the effect of gender inequality in livestock assets on household food security. The results indicated that men owned 1.72 TLU compared to an average of 0.22 TLU owned by women. Livestock’s contribution to household food security was estimated at 16% of annual household food expenditure, with a composition of 0.90% for jointly owned, 6.04% for women-owned and 9.14% for men-owned livestock. Also, 33% of households were food insecure and 67% of them were food-secure at the time of the survey. The empirical results showed that a unit increase in the Gini index of livestock asset distribution in favour of men harms household food security. The results further showed that household ownership of livestock, as well as farm size and education, negatively influence household food insecurity. In contrast, household size, female-headed households and dependency ratio positively affect household food insecurity in the study area. Based on the study, it is recommended that development programmes target women’s economic empowerment and education to bridge the livestock assets gender gap and improve food security.

Keywords: Food Security and Poverty; Livestock Production/Industries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:pojard:356169

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.356169

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