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Food Security Strategies Followed by the Farmers of a Disaster Prone Haor Area of Kishoreganj District

S. Rana
BAU, Mymensingh

M.H. Rahman
BAU, Mymensingh

M.N. Islam
BAU, Mymensingh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study was undertaken to determine the nature and severity of food security strategies followed by the farmers of the disaster prone haor area of Kishoreganj district. Relationships between the severity of food security strategies of the farmers and their selected characteristics were also explored. The study was conducted in two villages under Itna upazila of Kishoreganj district. Data were collected from a sample of 150 farmers, who were randomly selected from the population of 1,001 farmers living in the study area. A four point rating scale was used to obtain the severity of 16 selected food security strategies followed by the farmers in the study area. Data were collected during August to October 2009 through face to face interview by using a pre-tested interview schedule. The common food security strategies followed by the farmers in the study area were: spending money from deposit, relying on less preferred and less expansive food items, borrowing money from NGOs and local moneylenders, reducing number of meals in a day, selling land and other assets (tools, seeds, livestock etc.), mortgaging land and ornaments, limiting/reducing amount of food per meal, reducing adult consumption for the sake of children. According to the severity of food security strategy score, an overwhelming majority (84 percent) of the respondents were in medium level severity compared to 12 percent and 4 percent having low and high level severity of food security, respectively. Severity of food security strategies followed by the farmers had negatively correlated with their age, family size, local orientation, farm size, annual family income and extension media contact, while no significant relationship was observed with education and organizational participation.

Keywords: Food security, Coping strategies, Severity of food security strategies, Haor.

Location: Itna upazila under Kishoreganj district

Start Date: 00-08-2009

End Date: 00-10-2009

Program Area: Food Safety and Security

Non-commodity: Flood

Objectives:

The present study investigated the food security strategies of the farmers of haor area during and after disasters. It also explored the relationship between the farmers’ severity of food security strategies and their selected characteristics.

Methodology:

Locale of the study: According to the objectives, the study was to be conducted in a typical hoar area. Itna upazila under Kishoreganj district was selected as the study area because of the fact that this upazila was located in deep haor region and it was vulnerable to all types of natural disasters occur in the haor regions. After consultation with locale upazila level officials and key- informants, two villages, namely Madhyagram and Purbagram under the Itna union of the upazila were selected as the specific study areas. The two villages were selected for incorporating adequate number of farmers of all categories (large, medium, small and landless) in the sample. Measurement of food security strategies: Food security strategies followed by the farmers of the haor area were the main focus of the study. Sixteen probable strategies were selected through literature review and consultation with key informants. Following the criteria of World Food Programme (WFP, 2008), the strategies were arranged in a four point continuum (frequently, less frequently, rarely and not at all) in order to perceive the severity of practice of the strategies. Against a specific strategy, the respondents answered whether they followed the strategy “frequently”, “less frequently”, “occasionally” or “not at all”, while scores were assigned as 3, 2, 1 or 0 respectively. On the basis of severity of strategies, eight common strategies were separated from all followed strategies, while the mean scores of these strategies were added to obtain a “food security strategy index score” for each respondent. Thus, the severity score range could range from 0 to 24, 0 indicating no severity of food security strategies while 24 indicating the highest level severity of food security strategies. Data collection: Keeping the objectives of the study in view, a structured interview schedule was prepared to collect data from the farmers of the study area. The schedule was pre-tested before final data collection and necessary modifications were made on the basis of pre-testing experience. Data were collected from the selected farmers by using the interview schedule during August to October, 2009.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Extension Education, Volume 21, No. 1&2, 2009:133-140 ISSN 1011-3916

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Farmers of the disaster prone haor areas adopted a number of strategies towards food security during and after disasters. It appears that the landless and small farmers had to follow strategies which were related to their livelihoods, while the medium and large farmers resolved their food related problem through procurement of money from different available sources. Severity of food security strategies of the farmers depended on their age, family size, farm size, local orientation, annual family income and extension media contact. These are the indication that landless and small farmers had low coping ability while the medium and large farmers had higher ability to withstand the damage of disasters and seasonal shocks. As the haor area is extremely vulnerable to disasters and majority of the farmers had to adopt different kinds of food security strategies with remarkable severity, the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management with collaboration of the mainstream public sector agricultural extension agencies (Department of Agricultural Extension, Department of Livestock Services and Department of Fisheries) should undertake appropriate policy measures to help the farmers in haor area especially landless and small farmers to get relieve of their food insecurity situation during and after the disaster period. The policy measures should include adaptation of disaster coping cropping patterns, promotion of livestock related income generating activities among the small and landless households, small and landless farmers’ more access to water bodies in the haors, and alternative livelihood opportunities for the farmers during crisis periods. Therefore, the concerned authority strategies followed by the farmers in the disaster prone haor and widen the social safety net programmes to those people for achieving success of the national food policy.

Knowledge Management: Journal