Factors Affecting Food Security among Households in Nigeria: The Role of Crop Diversity

Ifeoluwapo Oluwaseun Amao, Adebayo Isaiah Ogunniyi (), George Mavrotas and Abiodun Olusola Omotayo
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Ifeoluwapo Oluwaseun Amao: National Horticultural Research Institute, Idi-ishin, P.M.B. 5432, Ibadan 200272, Nigeria
Adebayo Isaiah Ogunniyi: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Abuja 900211, Nigeria
Abiodun Olusola Omotayo: Food Security Niche Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North West University, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: Agriculture is central in order to achieve nutrition goals through the provision of food, energy and essential micronutrients for the physical and mental development of humans. Dietary diversity is a good indicator of human food security status. Using a dataset obtained from the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study—Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA), this paper examines the linkages between crop diversity and food security (measured as dietary diversity) among farming households in Nigeria using ordinary least squares, Poisson regression, and instrumental variables (IV) Poisson regression to estimate the relationship. In addition, we investigate the determinants that lead to the consumption of each food groups considered for generating dietary diversity using a logit regression model. The results show that food expenditure, asset ownership and location of households are the key factors driving the types of food consumed by the households. Furthermore, increased food expenditure and access to credit were found to positively influence food security. The result established a positive and significant relationship between crop diversity and dietary diversity. Our findings call for more attention to diet diversity, as well as the need to harmonize the roles of rural income improvement, especially through non-farm livelihood diversification in tackling multiple nutritional deficiencies in Nigeria.

Keywords: crop count; agricultural revenue; food groups; Nigeria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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