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Food Consumption and Nutritional Status of Vulnerable People Rearing Livestock in Bangladesh.

K. M. M. Rahman
Professor
Professor, Department of Agricultural Statistics, Bangladesh Agricultural University,Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

A. Sousa-Poza
Professor
Professor, Institute of Health Care and Public Management, University of Hohenheim, Germany.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This study was carried out in farm households rearing livestock in three vulnerable districts, Sirajganj, Bogra and Jamalpur of Bangladesh. Based on primary data on 210 households in 2010, the study aimed at assessing the impact of rearing livestock on food consumption and nutrition of farm households. The study carried out both descriptive and functional analysis and observed that livestock alone contributed 41 percent of total income, family food cost was 58 percent of total cost and 43 percent of total income. Daily per capita food, calorie and protein intakes were respectively 1101.02g, 2230 kcal and 69g. Rice alone contributed 68 percent of total calorie intake. Farm households of Jamalpur district consumed significantly less amount of food, calorie and protein. Daily per capita food consumption was influenced by farm size, family size and district but not by income. The overall absolute and hard core poverty indices on the basis of DCI were respectively 48 percent and 29 percent and they were respectively 48 percent and 32 percent on the basis of poverty line. Poverty incidence was the highest in Jamalpur district. As a policy option, livestock rearing should be intensified and strengthened by offering different government support programmes in Jamalpur district since livestock rearing and food consumption and nutritional security was positively related.

Keywords: Food consumption,Nutritional status,Vulnerable people,Livestock rearing

Location: Shirajgonj, Bogra and Jamalpur

Start Date: 01-01-2010

End Date: 31-12-2010

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Adoption of technology

Objectives:

To assess the impact of livestock rearing on food consumption, nutritional status and poverty of the people living in vulnerable districts in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

This study was based on primary data collected from farmers with pre-tested questionnaires through field survey. The districts Shirajgonj, Bogra and Jamalpur districts were selected as study areas since poor people of these districts face food shortages due to flood and river erosion in some months in a year, thus living in food insecurity and malnutrition conditions. Two hundred ten poor and marginal farmers practicing livestock enterprises commercially had been selected through simple random sampling technique from the above three districts from the population of 1200 farmers. This 1200 population or sampling frame was constituted with help of elected members of Union Parishad and village leaders. From each district 70 farmers rearing livestock and poultry for livelihoods had been selected and data on various food security indicators or variables were collected through direct interview method. Farmers were found to rear different livestock based enterprises such as livestock farm for meat production, dairy farm, goat farm, broiler farm, layer farm and mixed farms. But the majority of farms were the dairy farms followed by broiler farms. Some farmers were found to rear more than one enterprise. Sirajganj and Jamalpur districts were dominated by cattle (meat + dairy) farms and Bogra district was dominated by poultry (broiler + layer) farms. But different enterprises varied significantly across districts (X = 141.35 ). Average land used for livestock enterprises was 5.77 decimals with significant variations among districts (F= 13.55 ) . For the analysis of data, both partial and functional analysis have been carried out and appropriate statistical tools and techniques were used, such as descriptive statistics, econometric models, t-test, F-test, y -test, etc. Different models both linear and double-log have been fitted well on daily per capita consumption. Share of livestock income in total income and food security level attained from livestock enterprises have been assessed. For the measurement of poverty, poverty line has been estimated functionally. For the measurement of nutritional status and poverty the Direct Calorie Intake (DCI), and Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) methods have been used. In the past, DCI method was used to calculate the incidence of poverty where population or household falling below a threshold calorie intake was considered as poor. The threshold per capita per day calorie intake is 2122 kcal. A person, whose daily calorie intake is less than 2122 kcal, is considered to be in the 'Absolute Poverty'. Similarly, a person having daily calorie intake less than 1805 kcal, is considered to be in the 'Hard Core Poverty'. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) used the following semi-log or exponential model to estimate the poverty line: lnY= po + pi X+U.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Agric. Econs, XXXIII, 1 & 2(2010) 41-56

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The study carried out both descriptive and functional analysis and observed that livestock alone contributed 41 percent of total income, family food cost was 58 percent of total cost and 43 percent of total income. Daily per capita food, calorie and protein intakes were respectively 1101.02g, 2230 kcal and 69g. Rice alone contributed 68 percent of total calorie intake. Farm households of Jamalpur district consumed significantly less amount of food, calorie and protein. Daily per capita food consumption was influenced by farm size, family size and district but not by income. The overall absolute and hard core poverty indices on the basis of DCI were respectively 48 percent and 29 percent and they were respectively 48 percent and 32 percent on the basis of poverty line. Poverty incidence was the highest in Jamalpur district. As a policy option, livestock rearing should be intensified and strengthened by offering different government support programmes in Jamalpur district since livestock rearing and food consumption and nutritional security was positively related.

Knowledge Management: Journal