Assessing the factors affecting food security in Adropi sub-county, Adjumani district

Abstract

The food security status in Uganda remains a great concern, especially in northern Uganda. Northern Uganda is still suffering from food insecurity, with 59% of the population in the region being food insecure and 12% having a single meal a day. It is not clear why the situation remains like this in spite of many programmes put in place to address the food security situation. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors affecting food security in Adropi Sub-County, Adjumani District. The assessment was based on the pillars of food security developed by the World Food Programme (WFP), namely, food availability, food accessibility and food utilization. The study was conducted using a case study design and was qualitative in nature. Simple random and purposive sampling methods were employed to obtain the sample for this study. The study used interviews, focus group discussion and observation to collection data. The data were then analyzed thematically following the objectives of the study and key themes that emerged from the data. The study revealed that the main factors affecting food availability were population growth, climatic change, and lack of improved agricultural inputs, soil fertility and poor attitudes towards agricultural activities. The research further revealed that food accessibility was affected by increase in food prices in the market, distance to the cheapest markets, high transportation cost and inadequate cash circulation within the community. The study also indicated that food utilization is affected by limited food diversity, with cassava, maize, potatoes, ground nuts, vegetables and beans being the major foods crops. Households lack adequate energy for food preparation due to heavy depletion of forests for charcoal and poles for building grass thatched houses. Purchase of firewood and charcoal remains a challenge as well as limited safe water coverage associated with poor hygiene. The study concludes that the issue of food security requires participation of all stakeholders in addressing the above factors affecting food security. The study makes the following recommendations: reviving black smiths to supplement agricultural implements, using granaries for storage, creating a farmers’ union in the area to provide loans to farmers, improvement of extension service, and sensitization of the community on importance of agriculture and hygiene practices. There is also need to strengthen smallholder farming to move from subsistence farming to commercial farming which would help to address some of these problems affecting food avai1ability, and cultivating drought resistant crops, and practicing irrigation farming