Rural household dietary diversity and food security in Raymond Mhlaba local municipality
- Authors: Mnukwa, Minentle Lwando
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Food security
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17282 , vital:40872
- Description: In order to formulate or implement relevant food security programmes in rural areas, it is important to have a deep understanding of the food security status of rural households. Accordingly, this study was conducted to assess the food security status of rural households in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. The study also sought to identify the socio-economic characteristics that influence household food security status. The research relied on primary data. Primary data were collected by using a structured questionnaire, which covered both demographic features of respondent households, and their recent food consumption patterns. The household survey was conducted among 272 participants of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. Statistical tools employed in this study included both descriptive and inferential statistics. The main descriptive statistics used were frequency tables, means and percentages in relation to a number of demographic characteristics and food security indicators. The main indicator of food security/insecurity used in the study was the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). After calculating the HDDS for each household, households were defined as either food secure or insecure depending on whether their HDDS was above or below the average HDDS. A logistic regression model (binary or dichotomous) was then used to identify socio-economic factors that influence some households to have above-average rather than below-average food security levels. The Binary logistic regression model revealed that four out of eight variables included in the model were significant in explaining the variation in the food security situation of households in the study areas, namely age of household head, education level of household head, household income and household size. Of these, the first three were positively associated with aboveaverage food security status, while household size had a negative association. A Tobit model was further used to identify the determinants of the household dietary diversity score. The exact same variables were significant from the Tobit analysis, and in the same manner.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Mnukwa, Minentle Lwando
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Food security
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17282 , vital:40872
- Description: In order to formulate or implement relevant food security programmes in rural areas, it is important to have a deep understanding of the food security status of rural households. Accordingly, this study was conducted to assess the food security status of rural households in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. The study also sought to identify the socio-economic characteristics that influence household food security status. The research relied on primary data. Primary data were collected by using a structured questionnaire, which covered both demographic features of respondent households, and their recent food consumption patterns. The household survey was conducted among 272 participants of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. Statistical tools employed in this study included both descriptive and inferential statistics. The main descriptive statistics used were frequency tables, means and percentages in relation to a number of demographic characteristics and food security indicators. The main indicator of food security/insecurity used in the study was the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). After calculating the HDDS for each household, households were defined as either food secure or insecure depending on whether their HDDS was above or below the average HDDS. A logistic regression model (binary or dichotomous) was then used to identify socio-economic factors that influence some households to have above-average rather than below-average food security levels. The Binary logistic regression model revealed that four out of eight variables included in the model were significant in explaining the variation in the food security situation of households in the study areas, namely age of household head, education level of household head, household income and household size. Of these, the first three were positively associated with aboveaverage food security status, while household size had a negative association. A Tobit model was further used to identify the determinants of the household dietary diversity score. The exact same variables were significant from the Tobit analysis, and in the same manner.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The residuality of agriculture and the time dimensions of rural employment in South Africa
- Authors: Ngqwala, Sixolile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Rural poor -- Employment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Economics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16985 , vital:40806
- Description: There has been increasing recognition in the past few decades that rural households in developing countries are not limited to the agricultural sector, but also depend on other, nonagricultural activities. Rural households are understood to pursue multiple livelihood strategies which involve juggling different economic pursuits as a means of reducing risk and maintaining options. In South Africa, the importance of multiple livelihood strategies is widely appreciated, on the other hand there is a common perception in policy circles that agricultural development can become an important route out of poverty, for instance as part-time small-scale farmers become larger and more commercialised. The purpose of this dissertation is to attempt to better understand the relationship between households’ participation in agriculture and nonagricultural activities. The point of departure is the observation that there is a great deal of flux into and out of agriculture in a way that is difficult to understand in terms of prevailing theories and frameworks. The study makes use of four waves of data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), and employs a variety of analytical approaches, including transition matrices, multinomial logistic regression, and panel data econometric models. The findings are mixed. In the one hand, there is evidence that households enter agriculture as other income sources become available, and leave agriculture again when those sources dry up. On the other hand, there is also evidence that participation in agriculture compensates for the absence or loss of other income sources, in which case agriculture can be thought of as a ‘residual’ sector that is activated when other options fail.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Ngqwala, Sixolile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Rural poor -- Employment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Economics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16985 , vital:40806
- Description: There has been increasing recognition in the past few decades that rural households in developing countries are not limited to the agricultural sector, but also depend on other, nonagricultural activities. Rural households are understood to pursue multiple livelihood strategies which involve juggling different economic pursuits as a means of reducing risk and maintaining options. In South Africa, the importance of multiple livelihood strategies is widely appreciated, on the other hand there is a common perception in policy circles that agricultural development can become an important route out of poverty, for instance as part-time small-scale farmers become larger and more commercialised. The purpose of this dissertation is to attempt to better understand the relationship between households’ participation in agriculture and nonagricultural activities. The point of departure is the observation that there is a great deal of flux into and out of agriculture in a way that is difficult to understand in terms of prevailing theories and frameworks. The study makes use of four waves of data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), and employs a variety of analytical approaches, including transition matrices, multinomial logistic regression, and panel data econometric models. The findings are mixed. In the one hand, there is evidence that households enter agriculture as other income sources become available, and leave agriculture again when those sources dry up. On the other hand, there is also evidence that participation in agriculture compensates for the absence or loss of other income sources, in which case agriculture can be thought of as a ‘residual’ sector that is activated when other options fail.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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