Effects of Non-Timber Forest Products Consumption on Household Food Security Level in Oyo State, Nigeria (Published)
This paper thus assessed effects of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Oyo state on the household’s food security level. Multistage sampling technique was employed, firstly, purposive selection and ogbomoso agricultural zones of Oyo state, secondly, random selection of four (4) LGAs, random selection of 40% of blocks and random selection of a village from each of the selected blocks. Random selection of 3.5% of the women that involved in non-timber forest products in the study and this resulted into selection of 214 respondents for the study. Interview schedule was used to collect primary data from a respondents (women) based on the set objectives of the study.The mean age of the most of the respondents was 47years. The result of the finding also indicates that most of them were married and have a mean years of schooling was 12years which implies that most of them gad secondary school education. it was indicates that the three major religions were being practiced in the study area. The numerous opportunities accrued to the usage of forest products could be further exploited by educating rural women on other environmentally sustainable benefits of the non-timber forest products in their areas. It was also revealed that most households had an average of seven (7) members in their households. Polygamy system of marriage was the most widely adopted system in the study. Farming is the major livelihood activity and most of the respondents engaged in crop production in the study area. The mean farm size of most of the respondents was found to be 11.06 hectares while the mean years of farming experience was 23years. Most of the respondents did not belong to any social organizations. Most of the non-timber forest products were utilized majorly as food, fruits, medicine while some were utilized purposively as wrapping materials, oil, fuel, duck stock and construction/handcraft purposes. Most of the non-timber forest products identified in the study area were most commonly consumed at moderate level. Most of the households were highly satisfied with the utilization of the non-timber forest products in their households. The potentials embedded in the utilization of non-timber forest products were yet to be fully utilized in the study area. Women were found contribute to family nutrition through the utilization of non-timber forest in the study area. Most of the households were moderately food secured. The results of the analysis revealed that age (r=0.124*) and years of schooling (r=0.148*) were significantly related with household food security level. Based on the results of the finding, the following recommendations are necessary; more effort should also be made to create more awareness on the potentials in non-timber forest products utilization to further reduce poverty level in the study area, government and other stakeholders in agricultural development should intensify effort and give more support to the farmers in terms of financial, training, monitoring and other essential services in order to boost the level of production in the study area and more effort should be made to address the issue of poor labour supply in the study so as to reduce incidence of not able to carry out most of the farm activities and to aid timeliness in carrying out farm activities.
Keywords: Consumption, Food Security, Household, Nigeria, Oyo State, Products, non-timber forest
Criminal Armed Herdsmen Operation in Southern Kaduna, Nigeria: Implications On Human and Food Security (Published)
The research focuses on the implications of armed herdsmen operations on human and food security in the Southern Kaduna region of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The research design for the study is a descriptive survey method; a sample of 90 respondents was drawn from the three most affected local government areas where armed herdsmen operation strives in the region. The questionnaire was used as a major instrument for the collection of primary data; in-depth interviews were also conducted by the researcher to elicit further information from respondents. Secondary data was sourced from books, journals, newspapers and online peer-reviewed materials. The routine activity theory was adopted to explain armed herdsmen activities in Southern Kaduna. Findings suggest that deaths, hospitalizations, burning of houses amongst many others were major implications on human security while burning of farmlands, kidnappings on the farm and closure of markets were amongst major implications of food security in the region. The study recommends the provision of more sophisticated detection equipment in the rural areas for early detection of arrival and settlement of armed herdsmen in the forestlands, provision of more sophisticated detection equipment and arms and ammunition to the security forces to eliminate the attacking herdsmen. The study also recommends compensation for the affected communities through government distribution of grains from the strategic reserves and re-establishment of farmlands and construction of new residential structures for the affected people.
Keywords: Criminal, Food Security, Human, armed herdsmen
Determinants of Household Food Security and Coping Strategies: The Case of Bule-Hora District, Borana Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia (Published)
Now a day food security issues become one of the critical concern and top priority area for developing countries. Having clear picture on food security status and its major determinants helps policy makers and planners to devise new policies that enhance food security. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the status of food security in the study area, to identify the major determinants of food security among the rural household, and to identify coping strategies employed by different food security status groups to cope with food insecurity. In order to achieve these objectives biophysical; demographic and socio-economic data were collected from 140 randomly selected households in Bule-hora District of Borana Zone, Oromia Regional State. A two-stage sampling procedure was used to select 5 PAs. A survey was conducted to collect primary data from sample respondent. Secondary data were collected from various sources. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, percentage and frequency distribution. Univariate analysis such as one way ANOVA and Chi-square tests were also employed to describe characteristics of food secure, food insecure without hunger, food insecure with moderate hunger and food insecure with sever hunger categories. The survey result shows that about 23% of sampled farmers were food secure. Ordered logit regression model was fitted to analyze the potential variables affecting household food insecurity in the study area. Among 14 explanatory variables included in the logistic model, 6 of them were significant at less than 5% probability level. These are; Cultivate Land Size (LAND SIZE), Livestock holding (TLU) and Improved seed (SEEDUSE), SEX of household head, Soil fertility status (SOIL FER) and non-farm income (INCOMEON). The estimated model correctly predicted 85.2% and different recommendations were made based on the findings of the study.
Keywords: Food Security, coping mechanism, logit model