The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity
The importance of smallholder farming is increasingly recognized in rural areas where increased crop productivity and market participation can effectively improve their dietary diversity and nutrition quality. However, rural households are still faced with severe food insecurity and malnutrition. Th...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Agriculture |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/3/595 |
| _version_ | 1827751880537669632 |
|---|---|
| author | Simphiwe Innocentia Hlatshwayo Rob Slotow Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi |
| author_facet | Simphiwe Innocentia Hlatshwayo Rob Slotow Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi |
| author_sort | Simphiwe Innocentia Hlatshwayo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The importance of smallholder farming is increasingly recognized in rural areas where increased crop productivity and market participation can effectively improve their dietary diversity and nutrition quality. However, rural households are still faced with severe food insecurity and malnutrition. The study sought to assess the role of smallholder farming in crop productivity and market access on rural household dietary diversity. The secondary data were collected using a quantitative research method, and 1520 participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The descriptive results showed that cereals were the most (98%) consumed food group, while vegetables and fruits were the least consumed food groups, at 37% and 23%, respectively. The results from the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) showed that 57% of smallholder farmers consumed highly diverse diets (more or equal to six food groups), whereas 25% and 18% of smallholder farmers consumed medium dietary diversity (four to five food groups) and low diverse diets (less or equal to three food groups), respectively. The findings from the Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) and Poisson endogenous treatment effect models showed that household size, ownership of livestock, wealth index, and involvement in crop production positively influenced household dietary diversity. On the other hand, output and access to market information showed a negative effect. Social grants had contradicting effects: they had a negative impact on the HDDS received from crop productivity while they had a positive effect on the HDDS from market participation. Providing different ways smallholder farmers can use their funds effectively can help improve household dietary diversity and nutrition quality. The study recommended that more workshops and training be conducted that cover all the sustainable production systems that smallholder farmers can undertake to produce different food groups. These will raise awareness among smallholder farmers about the requirements for balanced diets for food and nutrition security. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:04:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-350fb41ca1cf43ea97670093895d0139 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:04:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-350fb41ca1cf43ea97670093895d01392023-11-17T09:00:41ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722023-02-0113359510.3390/agriculture13030595The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary DiversitySimphiwe Innocentia Hlatshwayo0Rob Slotow1Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi2African Centre for Food Security, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South AfricaCentre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South AfricaAfrican Centre for Food Security, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South AfricaThe importance of smallholder farming is increasingly recognized in rural areas where increased crop productivity and market participation can effectively improve their dietary diversity and nutrition quality. However, rural households are still faced with severe food insecurity and malnutrition. The study sought to assess the role of smallholder farming in crop productivity and market access on rural household dietary diversity. The secondary data were collected using a quantitative research method, and 1520 participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The descriptive results showed that cereals were the most (98%) consumed food group, while vegetables and fruits were the least consumed food groups, at 37% and 23%, respectively. The results from the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) showed that 57% of smallholder farmers consumed highly diverse diets (more or equal to six food groups), whereas 25% and 18% of smallholder farmers consumed medium dietary diversity (four to five food groups) and low diverse diets (less or equal to three food groups), respectively. The findings from the Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) and Poisson endogenous treatment effect models showed that household size, ownership of livestock, wealth index, and involvement in crop production positively influenced household dietary diversity. On the other hand, output and access to market information showed a negative effect. Social grants had contradicting effects: they had a negative impact on the HDDS received from crop productivity while they had a positive effect on the HDDS from market participation. Providing different ways smallholder farmers can use their funds effectively can help improve household dietary diversity and nutrition quality. The study recommended that more workshops and training be conducted that cover all the sustainable production systems that smallholder farmers can undertake to produce different food groups. These will raise awareness among smallholder farmers about the requirements for balanced diets for food and nutrition security.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/3/595subsistence farmingcrop productivitymarket participationsmallholder farmersdietary diversity |
| spellingShingle | Simphiwe Innocentia Hlatshwayo Rob Slotow Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity Agriculture subsistence farming crop productivity market participation smallholder farmers dietary diversity |
| title | The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity |
| title_full | The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity |
| title_short | The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity |
| title_sort | role of smallholder farming on rural household dietary diversity |
| topic | subsistence farming crop productivity market participation smallholder farmers dietary diversity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/3/595 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT simphiweinnocentiahlatshwayo theroleofsmallholderfarmingonruralhouseholddietarydiversity AT robslotow theroleofsmallholderfarmingonruralhouseholddietarydiversity AT mjabulisenisimoncloapasngidi theroleofsmallholderfarmingonruralhouseholddietarydiversity AT simphiweinnocentiahlatshwayo roleofsmallholderfarmingonruralhouseholddietarydiversity AT robslotow roleofsmallholderfarmingonruralhouseholddietarydiversity AT mjabulisenisimoncloapasngidi roleofsmallholderfarmingonruralhouseholddietarydiversity |