Hlatshwayo Simphiwe Innocentia, Ojo Temitope Oluwaseun, Ngidi Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas
African Center for Food Security, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Center for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Front Sustain Food Syst. 2023 Nov 16;7:1097465. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1097465.
Hunger and malnutrition remain serious issues in developing countries, particularly in rural regions. Increased market participation of smallholder farmers can result in improved livelihood and nutrition outcomes. However, smallholder farmers encounter several obstacles that hinder their ability to participate in the market. As a result, the objective of this study is to investigate the factors that influence market participation and its impact on household nutrition security.
The study relied on secondary data gathered from a sample size of 1,520 people. About 389 of smallholder farmers participated in the market.
The results from Food Consumption Score (FSC) cut-off points showed that in the overall sample households, 54% were within the acceptable food consumption diets (>35), while 30 and 16% were in the borderline (21.5-35) and poor diets (0-21), respectively. According to the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) findings, 57% of smallholder farmers in the total population sample consumed highly diverse diets (consisting of at least six food groups), while 25 and 18% of smallholder farmers consumed diets with medium dietary diversity (consisting of 4-5 food groups) and low dietary diversity (consisting of at most three food groups), respectively. The results from marginal analysis showed that gender of household head, receiving social grants and higher wealth index had a positive impact on market participation. The results from Poisson endogenous treatment effect model showed that household size, ownership of livestock, social grant, wealth index, access to market information, and involvement in crop production had a positive and statistically significant impact on household nutrition security. On the other hand, agricultural assistance showed a negative and significant impact on household nutrition security.
It can be concluded that an improvement in agricultural assistance can improve the household nutrition security status. The improvement of agricultural assistance is more associated with improvement of extension services, which can lead to more production of diverse crops and more market participation. Health extension workers need to do more nutrition programs and workshops in rural areas. These programs and workshops will be intended on providing nutrition education, which will create awareness to smallholder farmers on diverse and balanced food items they should produce, sell, and consume.
饥饿和营养不良在发展中国家，尤其是农村地区，仍然是严重问题。小农户市场参与度的提高能够带来生计和营养状况的改善。然而，小农户面临着若干阻碍其参与市场的障碍。因此，本研究的目的是调查影响市场参与的因素及其对家庭营养安全的影响。
本研究依赖于从1520人的样本中收集的二手数据。约389名小农户参与了市场。
食物消费得分（FSC）临界点的结果显示，在总体样本家庭中，54%处于可接受的食物消费饮食范围内（>35），而分别有30%和16%处于临界范围（21.5 - 35）和不良饮食范围（0 - 21）。根据家庭饮食多样性得分（HDDS）的结果，在总人口样本中，57%的小农户消费的饮食种类丰富（至少包括六个食物组），而分别有25%和18%的小农户消费的饮食多样性中等（包括4 - 5个食物组）和低饮食多样性（最多包括三个食物组）。边际分析结果表明，户主性别、获得社会补助和较高的财富指数对市场参与有积极影响。泊松内生处理效应模型的结果显示，家庭规模、牲畜所有权、社会补助、财富指数、市场信息获取以及作物生产参与度对家庭营养安全有积极且具有统计学意义的影响。另一方面，农业援助对家庭营养安全有消极且显著的影响。
可以得出结论，农业援助水平的提高能够改善家庭营养安全状况。农业援助的改善更多地与推广服务的改善相关联，这能够带来更多样化作物的生产和更多的市场参与。健康推广工作者需要在农村地区开展更多营养项目和研讨会。这些项目和研讨会旨在提供营养教育，使小农户认识到他们应该生产、销售和消费的多样且均衡的食物。
