Gender analysis of food security status of rural households in Ondo State, Nigeria

The physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and food preferences of people for an active and healthy life is termed food security. Household food security means applying this concept to all its members without the undue risk of losing the access. This study examined the food security status of rural households in Ondo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 72 households across 6 communities from the study area. Data were collected from respondents with the aid of a carefully designed interview guide and presented using descriptive statistics. The Household Food Security Survey Measure (HFSSM) was used to measure household food security status. The average age of the respondents was 45 years and had an average of 6 years of formal education. Average household size was 7 persons. Predominant occupation for the men was farming, while that of women was trading. The respondents' average monthly income was N 33439. The HFSSM revealed that 45.8% of the households were food insecure with severe hunger while 34.7% were with moderate hunger, 8.3% of the respondents were food insecure without hunger. Though 8.3% of the households were food secure, another 2.8% were food secure at risk. The study recommends well planned and focused food security programmes and intensification of rural empowerment schemes.