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Assessing Food Security Status of Ethnic Households in Chittagong Hill Tracts

M Jamal Uddin
Senior Scientific Officer
On-Farm Research Division, BARI, Bandarban

M K Hasan
Planning and Evaluation Division, BARI, Gazipur

R Begum
Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study was conducted in three hill districts namely Bandarban, Khagrachari and Rangamati during 2008-09 with a view to estimate food availability, food intake and level of food security at ethnic households. A total of 342 sample households were selected for interview covering four major ethnic groups such as Chakma, Marma, Tripura and Tanchangya. The study revealed that availability from own production of major food item rice was 0.79 ton per household per year which consists 53.7 percent of the total requirement. Food deficit was observed at all sample households in all the study districts. Aggregate and item-wise food and calorie intake was recorded lower than national average at all sample households. Most of the ethnic households face high to moderate level of food insecurity. Low yield of Jhum crops, crop damage due to drought, attack of wild animals, pest and diseases infestation, limited suitable land for rice cultivation, rodent threat in Jhum crops and lack of cash were the major causes of food insecurity at household level in the CHT.

Keywords: Food security, Ethnic households, Hill tracts

Location: Bandarban, Khagrachari and Rangamati districts

Start Date: 00-10-2008

End Date: 00-03-2009

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Income generation

Objectives:

To document the socio-economic profile of ethnic households
To estimate food availability and food intake of ethnic people
To measure the food insecurity level of ethnic households
To suggest policy guidelines for food security in the CHT region.

Methodology:

The study was conducted in the CHT comprises of three hill districts namely Bandarban, Khagrachari, and Rangamati. Out of 25 upazilas in the CHT, 3 upazilas were selected purposively. Multi-stage sampling technique was followed for the selection of the study area. A total of 21 villages/paras were selected randomly taking 12 villages/para from Bandarban, 5 villages/para from Khagrachari, and the remaining 4 villages/para from Rangamati. The villages/para were selected considering vulnerabilities. Among 13 ethnic groups residing in the CHT region, four dominant ethnic minorities namely Chakma, Marma, Tanchangya and Tripura were selected purposively for this study. Indeed, as all ethnic groups were not living in all the hill districts, the selected types of ethnic groups varied among districts. A sampling frame was constructed in consultation with local Agricultural Officers, Headmen (village chief), Karbari (mouza chief), union council members and other relevant persons before final sample selection. Proportionate random sampling technique was adopted for selecting sample size in each ethnic group. In this process a total of 141 samples from Bandarban, 98 from Khagrachari and 103 from Rangamati .Primary data were collected from sample households using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Three educated enumerators from tribal communities were employed for data collection. The primary data were collected from October 2008 to March 2009. The quantities of food items consumed by sample households in the last three days were collected through household survey and were converted to calories and divided by household size to obtain the calorie intake per capita per day. Descriptive statistics i.e. mean, standard deviation, percentage, etc. were used to analyze data as per requirement. Food security was measured using a Coping Strategy Index (CSI). The CSI is widely used in different African countries for measuring food insecurity (Maxwell et al., 2003). The CSI is an indicator of household food insecurity that is relatively simple and quick to use and straightforward to understand. A series of questions about how households cope with the shortfall of food consumption were asked to get a simple numeric score. In this case, four relative frequency such as ‘every day’, ‘sometimes’, ‘rarely’ and ‘never’ were used. The CSI score shows whether a household food security status is declining or improving. The respondents who answered ‘everyday’ for any of the questions was assigned a numeric score 7. Similarly 4.5, 1.5 and 0 score were assigned for ‘sometimes’; ‘rarely’ and ‘never’ respectively. The CSI score was calculated by the following formula: CSI = Relative Frequency x Weight (severity). The higher the score the greater the food insecurity exist in the respective households. In other words, CSI score lying between 0 and 40 indicates lower level of food insecurity; the score lying between 41 and 60 indicates moderate food insecurity and the score lying between 61 and above indicates higher level of food insecurity existing in the households (Maxwell et al., 2003).

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Agriculturist. 3(1): 35–42, 2010 ISSN 1812-4631

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The findings might be concluded that the CHT are food deficit area and most of the households fall high to moderate food insecurity level. Aggregate and item-wise food and calorie intake was found lower than national average indicated that the ethnic people fall in food poverty and needs to ensure food security by adjusting following aspects:Food availability can be enhanced by modernization of existing Jhum cultivation. Land ownership especially suitable land for cultivation should be ensured by the government; or spot settlement of land should be provided to those households who want to way out from Jhum to settle farming (fruit gardening). Crop damage can be minimized by introducing drought tolerant variety and adopting scientific management at Jhum farming. Household real income should be uplifted through invigorating on-farm and off-farm activities such as rearing livestock, poultry and engaging weaving at household level. Awareness about nutrition of food should be built through training program. Effective measures should be taken so that household size can be kept to a minimum number and education of household member should be enlarged. Finally, sustainable hill agriculture technologies and off-farm income generating activities can ensure greater food security of ethnic households in the CHT.

Knowledge Management: Journal