DETERMINING HOUSEHOLD AND FARM LEVEL GOVERNANCE FACTORS AFFECTING THE TRANSITION TO HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN ISINGIRO DISTRICT, SOUTH-WESTERN UGANDA

Abstract

Governance, in particular, decision-making plays a significant role in influencing the transition to households’ food security. It helps in addressing causative factors responsible for undermining household sustainable food security. This study aimed at determining household and farm level governance factors affecting the transition to household food security. Respondents who participated in the study were 284. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design to obtain qualitative and quantitative data on household food security. Household interviews, focus group discussions, key informants’ interviews, and observations were used to collect data. Qualitative data were analyzed by categorizing them into themes to find out respondents’ experiences and opinions. Quantitative data were coded, entered, cleaned, and summarized using descriptive statistics, frequencies, and chi-square. The study used Multiple Regression Model to establish the extent to which selected variables were responsible for the transition to household food security. Results on maize production showed that the association of occupation of coefficient (0.006) and income (-0.54) had a significant and positive value P=0.000 (P˂0.05) and was related to food security, while the association between family size (0.006) and land size (0.055), marital status (0.092), and land acreage (- 0.108) had no significant relationship. Regarding beans, results indicated that the relationship between occupation (coefficient -0.059 and income (0.059) had a significant value P= 0.000, while the association between family size (0.096) and land size (0.055, marital status (0.092) and land acreage (-0.108) had no significant association. In the case of bananas, the association of occupation (0.038) and income (0.142) had a significant value of P=0.000, while the relationship between family size (0.010) and land size (-0.026), marital status (0.014), and land acreage (0.184) had no significant relationship. The study recommends increased government support in establishing effective decisions on household food security and strengthening them through a participatory and bottom-up approach. The study also recommends that the government and related stakeholders invest in household capacity building for inclusive gender participation in decision-making pertaining to food security; establish resilient household food production and increase support for strengthening it further. There is also a need for supporting climate change mitigation, environmental conservation, and farm-level landscape restoration.