Income Diversity and Other Socioeconomic Factors That Influence the Household Food Security of Small-Scale Lowland Rice Farmers in Indonesia

Abstract

Farmers face many challenges, such as decreased agricultural productivity and decreased household income, which impact farmers' food insecurity. This study aims to analyze the effect of income diversity and other socioeconomic factors on the household food security of smallscale lowland rice farmers. This study uses multivariate logistic regression and input from 264 lowland rice families to explain the relationship between income diversification and other socioeconomic factors on household food insecurity. The results show that household heads who reported higher income diversification tend to be more resistant to food security (OR=11.59; p-value=0.02). Other socioeconomic variables associated with the household food insecurity of lowland rice farmers such as the young age of some farmers, higher education, access to extension services, access to credit, and wider agricultural land lead to a higher chance of reporting high food security (respectively: OR=1.06, p<0.05; OR=2.96, p<0.01; OR=1.69, p<0.01; OR=6.71, p<0.01; and OR=4.08, p<0.01), this happens because these variables affect the productivity of lowland rice. Therefore, increased productivity of lowland rice can have an impact on increasing smallholder household income. Although income diversification is a necessary strategy to improve the food security of lowland rice farmers, it must be accompanied by basic income stability.