Indigenous Knowledge System and Food Security: The use of Coping Strategy Index to estimate levels of food insecurity in two Provinces in South Africa Presentation par: Prof Dibungi Luseba Introduction • Household food security is depicted as the ability of families to get adequate, safe, and nutritious food to address dietary needs to lead a sound and productive life • Food insecurity and hunger prevail in South Africa and affect at least a quarter to a half of the country’s population • The 2011 Global Hunger Index report…..10.6% of adults reported being sometimes or always hungry • The head count of food insecure people in South Africa does not enable an understanding of households and community’s experiences and perceptions of risk as well as the local coping mechanisms that are employed by households when faced with food shortages. • The country needs baseline information on households’ coping mechanisms that could be strengthened and supported through well targeted social protection measures Introduction …. • Coping strategies have been defined as all the strategically selected acts that individuals and households in a poor socio-economic position use to restrict their expenses or earn extra income to enable them to pay for their basic necessities and not fall too far below their society’s level of welfare”. • Key questions emerge in regards to the analysis of food insecurity within the context of South Africa: – How do we determine the different intensity and/or severity levels of food insecurity among rural communities, that enable proper and effective targeting of food security interventions? – Secondly, can we add value to the already existing knowledge and methodologies by incorporating local communities’ experiences and perceptions of risk and vulnerability to food insecurity through the use of the Coping strategy index? Objectives • With the help of local communities in rural and urban areas, the research project documented the traditional coping mechanisms that are adopted by households when faced with food shortages. • This information was used to construct a coping strategy …….to rank households according to severity or intensity of food insecurity. • • • • The distinction between the food security severity/intensity levels has got profound implications on the strategic design and urgency of response or intervention. To further validate the use of the coping strategy index (CSI) for food security analysis, the research project tested the CSI against commonly used benchmark indicators used, such as food consumption based indicators like household caloric availability. Methodology • Sampling • • Data were collected from the districts Stratified sampling procedure were applied to sample municipalities in each of the districts. Stratification is a process that involves dividing the population of interest into subgroups (e.g. strata) that share something in common e.g. livelihoods or land use zone. Both administrative boundaries (i.e. municipality) and livelihood zones (i.e. predominantly pastoral, peri-urban and predominantly arable) were used as criterion for defining strata. Households within the villages remain the ultimate sampling unit, and approximately 20 households (100 from each province) were sampled. • • • Methodology … • • Data Collection Primary data for use in the study was collected through focus group discussions and household surveys, supplemented by data from secondary sources. • The household surveys were conducted through the use of a questionnaire: 20 households (100 in each province). Data collected through the questionnaire at household level was on the coping strategies that households employ in the face of food shortages, but also included information on the following: – Demographic characteristics (including structure of the household, age, gender); – Food variables (household food accessibility, household food availability, intra-household food distribution). – Information on shocks, risks and hazards at household level. • Methodology … • Secondary data for use on the study were collected both at the district level and at municipal level. • Socio-economic data covering specified municipalities (farm organization, education level, dependency ratio, % female headed households, HIV/AIDS prevalence and irrigation land) - South African Statistical Services • Data on rainfall and other variables of the agriculture sector e.g. profiles of cropping patterns within the different municipalities, from the Agriculture census reports - StatsSA. Data Analysis: Construction of the Coping Strategy Index (CSI) • Members of the local community were asked to brainstorm coping strategies that are employed by households when faced with food shortages, and the strategies were ranked according to severity. • A severity score for each of the strategies was established through consensus. • The list of strategies identified through the focus group discussions were used in the household survey . For each of the coping strategy, the frequency indicated by the household were multiplied by the relevant severity weighting of the strategy, as determined through the focus group discussion, the sum of which yielded the household’s coping strategy index (CSI). • • • • The CSI were used cross-sectionally to rank households according to food insecurity severity and also identify households that are at risk of experiencing food shortages. Data Analysis: Comparison with Benchmark Indicator • • • • The most commonly used benchmark indicator in the analysis of food security is that of identifying households that consume below their minimum caloric requirements, Measured in terms of calories available, compared with the requirements of households based on age, sex, and activity levels of household members Households whose household caloric availability falls below the threshold of 2300 kcal per adult equivalent unit per day is said to be food insecure. in the past 7 days Resultats et Discussion Rural % Urban % Total % Maize/Maize products 100 100 100 Cereals 85.8 96.5 91.1 Roots and tubers 73.3 85.2 79.1 Vitamin A –Rich (fruit & veg) 69.2 78.3 73.6 Other vegetables 88.2 93 90.6 Other fruits 65 80.7 72.7 Other meat, poultry & fish 90.8 96.5 93.6 Eggs 69.8 85.1 77.4 Legume, nuts & seeds 53.9 65.2 59.5 Dairy 71.4 85.1 78.1 Oils & fats 76.7 95.6 85.9 Sugars 90 94.7 92.3 Beverages 95 99.1 97 Average number of days items consumed per week 7,0 6,0 5,0 A v e 4,0 r a 3,0 g e 2,0 Rural Urban Total 1,0 0,0 Food group STRESSES, SHOCKS, COPING AFFECTING THE HOUSEHOLD 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 Rural Urban 20 10 0 Total COPING STRATEGY MECANISM 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Rural Urban Total Suggestions to help households who experience lack of food 60 50 40 30 20 Rural 10 0 Urban Total Concluding remarks Acknowledgements
