Low and very low food security is a concern in the US, and specific populations are at high risk. An understudied population with regards to food security is university students. University students suffering from low and very low food security are at risk for physical and mental consequences. Because limited research has been conducted identifying the food security status of university students in the US, the public is unaware of the problem. This study was designed to determine food security status of Illinois university students and the socio-demographic characteristics associated with each food security classification. A cross-sectional survey design was used to analyze the food security status of Illinois university students. An online 40-question survey based on the USDA's Household Food Security Survey Module was distributed via mass email to university students at four Illinois universities including Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University. Statistical analysis included frequencies and Chi-squared Test of Independence. A total sample of 2,753 students from four universities completed the online survey. Results determined that 30.4% of Illinois university students had low or very low food security, twice as high as the general public. There were significant associations between food security status and the following socio-demographic variables: ethnicity, academic level, GPA, living location on- or off-campus, living alone, financial support, and hometown region. African Americans and Hispanics, juniors and seniors, students with lower GPAs, students receiving financial support requiring repayment, and students from urban hometowns were found to be at-risk populations associated with low or very low food security. This study suggests a significant portion of Illinois university students are at high risk for low and very low food security. Significant socio-demographic characteristics associated with low and very low food security could be used to develop programs targeting those in need. Future research should be conducted to determine food security status of students at universities throughout the US

Food security is a critical issue that has a prominent impact on human well-being, especially for the vulnerable population who has minimal resilience to the impact of food insecurities. Achieving food security is a continuous challenge that is faced by not only developing countries but also developed countries. Differences in political, economy and social structures contribute to the severity and magnitude of the impact on affected population. This thesis looks at the contribution of indigenous knowledge in achieving food security by analyzing the practices of ume kbubu, or "household granary,"in Timor Tengah Selatan located in Indonesia. This thesis examines the practice of using, filling, and maintaining granaries by analyzing the traditional and cultural values that support ume kbubu and how this practice can support local food security through adaptation and new uses by farmers' groups.

Masters of Art / Diversifying livelihoods has over the last two decades been identified as an important theme in the development work, particularly concerning the poverty reduction agenda. In the developing world, farm households, urged on by their survival instinct, diversify away from traditional subsistence agriculture to the production of high-value crops and at other times engage in off-farm and non-farm activities. This has become necessary due to the failures of agriculture to guarantee farm households sustainable livelihoods and improve their welfare. In sub-Saharan Africa, diversification is a vital instrument for reducing rural people’s risk to poverty. In recent years, however, diversification has been closely linked to food security. This is due to the fact that chronic food insecurity and its accompanying vulnerabilities continue to thwart poverty reduction efforts in the developing world. Paradoxically, whereas available statistics suggests that there is enough food to feed everyone, close to 900 million of the world’s population is still food insecure. By implication, the food security challenge hinge on ‘access’ rather than food availability. In sub-Saharan Africa and for that matter Northern Ghana, the phenomenon is quite pervasive, often affecting rural farm households. This signals one thing – a travesty to the existence of international human rights frameworks. Already, available empirical studies on the extent to which diversification amongst farm households impact on assuring household food security have revealed mixed results and are silent on the gender consequences. Using World Food Programme’s 2012 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis survey conducted in northern Ghana and an ordinary least squares estimator, this study sought to examine how livelihood diversification contributes to household food security and subsequently validate its effect for male and female-headed farm households in the Bole district of the Northern region of Ghana. Results from the study revealed a significant positive relationship between livelihood diversification (the number of livelihood activities farm households engaged in) and household food security (household food consumption score). Whereas similar result was observed for male-headed households, that of female-headed households was insignificant even though positive. Following this, the study proposes a two-fold policy strategy for optimizing the impact of livelihood diversification on guaranteeing food security amongst farm households in the case study district in particular and northern Ghana in general. Firstly, support for boosting smallholder agriculture should be pursued rigorously, taking advantage of programmes such as the Savannah Plan for Accelerated Growth. Secondly, sustaining, up-scaling and re-orienting programmes such as Rural Enterprises Project and creating the policy milieu for farm households to explore local opportunities like eco-tourism should be mainstreamed, taking into account concerns of gender.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Since the earlier 1970s the government of Mozambique has been carrying out legal, political, economic and institutional reforms which are culminating in the establishment of the current fisheries governance systems. An important achievement of these reforms is the political recognition the government has given to the importance of subsistence fishing and its incorporation into policy instruments such as the Fisheries Master Plan II (2014-2019) and the Artisanal Fisheries Development Strategy (2009-2015). In these policy documents, fisheries authorities put subsistence fisheries on top of priorities. However, the practice in Mozambique’s fisheries is indicating that, despite this recognition, subsistence fishers remain amongst the most vulnerable groups, particularly at district and village levels. The objective of this study is to understand the patterns of inclusion and exclusion of subsistence fishers from the fisheries governance spaces in Mozambique with particular emphasis on Palma district (Cabo Delgado province). The study uses the concept of Action Spaces to situate the nature of opportunities that are being created under these reforms. A critical finding of this study is that, the institutions for fisheries governance being created by the government at district and community levels are not creating a functional mechanism for subsistence fishers to participate, access opportunities, and bring their voices into decision-making systems. As a result, subsistence fishers are creating their own spaces which are based on informal structures and relations to sustain their livelihoods. The study resorts to the institutional governance insights to understand the factors that may determine the interactions between the formal and informal action spaces while improving the contribution of subsistence fisheries to the livelihoods and food security of the vulnerable groups.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This thesis examines how recent South African government fisheries policies have affected the livelihoods and food security of small-scale fishers, using the Kalk Bay fishing community in Cape Town, South Africa, as a case study. Fish has for generations provided food security for the fishers of Kalk Bay and their families. This food security has been both through catching fish for direct consumption and selling fish for income. Fish is an excellent source of nutrition, supplying easily digestible protein, as well as vital macro and micro nutrients essential for development and growth, thereby providing nutritional security. In South Africa, the right to food has been identified by the South African government as a primary policy objective. The Constitution of South Africa also guarantees access to food for citizens of the country primarily through providing access to food sources and livelihoods. This mini-thesis argues that despite the stated objectives of the government, the development and implementation of policy in the fisheries sector has not supported the right to food. Research was conducted through in-depth interviews with government representatives, fishing activists and fishers with a direct interest in Kalk Bay, as well as a survey completed in the Kalk Bay fishing community. The findings were examined through a sustainable livelihoods perspective, with a focus on access rights as a necessity to access livelihoods. The results clearly indicate that households in Kalk Bay who have traditionally pursued livelihoods and food security through fishing are often no longer able to do so. Small-scale fishers were completely omitted from the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998. This has resulted in the removal of access rights to marine resources which has led to these traditional fishers no longer being able to access their historical livelihoods and provide food security. These fishers have experienced further disenfranchisement from policies that were promised to empower the citizens of South Africa at the beginning of the new democracy in South Africa. As a result of a loss of access to livelihoods, small-scale fishers in South Africa launched a class action against the government. This legal action was won by the fishers and a judgement was given that the government was to amend the Marine Living Resources Act (1998), and a fisheries policy ensuring the inclusion of small-scale fishers was to be written. This thesis also addresses the attitudes towards and challenges of the newly adopted “Policy for small-scale fisheries in South Africa” of the fishing community of Kalk Bay. The evidence suggests that although small-scale fishers are now included, there are still notable challenges that could derail its successful implementation. A key challenge is the uncertainty by any parties about the quantity and value of marine resources to be allocated to the small-scale sector. It is unclear how much, if any, of the allocation is coming from the large scale industrial sector. This could result in continued challenges to the small-scale sector in terms of being able to access livelihoods and maintain food security.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Food security is a development challenge in South Africa with 52% of the population being food insecure and 33% at risk of hunger. Inequalities and inefficient food distribution networks lead to inadequate access to sufficient and nutritional food. Poor communities experience bad access to good food and good access to bad food. Citizens have to be satisfied with cheap, low nutritious and high calorific food leading to malnutrition, and diseases – the hidden hunger. Being hungry is more than just a lack of food; it provokes despair, humiliation, sadness, low self-esteem – perceive as the genocide of the mind. Urban agriculture has been advocated as a livelihood strategy to improve food security. The Urban Rural Development Capacity Building Project (URDCBP), a non-profit organization (NPO), initiated three urban food garden projects within Langa, Cape Town to improve food security and create employment within that community. Ward 51, Langa is the study area of this thesis. The aim of this research is (1) to assess the contribution of urban food garden projects as a livelihood strategy for food security and the livelihood outcomes thereof; (2) to determine what other livelihood strategies and coping mechanisms poor communities adopt to be more food secure; and (3) to propose recommendations to improve and expand urban food gardens. The mixed-methodology research paradigm was employed. In the quantitative design, 83 randomly selected participants completed the self-administered closed-ended questionnaires. STATA 12.1 was used as a tool for the quantitative analysis. The descriptive statistics present the socio-demographic and economic trends of the households by the scores of each variable and the existence of any relationships between the variables. Conclusions were drawn from the sample data about the populations with inferential statistics. The qualitative data collection included two semi-structured interviews with government officials and two focus group discussions with 17 community members and 13 beneficiaries respectively. Purposive sampling was used in the qualitative research and emerging themes were identified in response to the research objective supporting the quantitative analysis. The results attest that 82% of the respondents indicated that the urban food gardens contribute to their household food security. However, low levels of food security are still experience within the community. With the Sustainable Livelihood Approach as theoretical framework, the study accentuates other livelihood outcomes of urban agriculture such as improving health, improving self-esteem and improving food security. Some of the coping strategies adopted include having willpower and skills, relying on family and friends for food and borrowing and dependency on social grants. The contribution of urban food gardens to food security is minimal in the Western Cape as only 2% of the households cultivate crops as their main source of food. In the study, 63% of the respondents would like to start their own food gardens and 14% would like to extend their urban food gardens. In both instances, land has been identified as the greatest concern. With the correct strategies and support, urban food gardens can be extended to make a larger contribution to the food security levels of the urban poor. Government intervention is much needed to fight hidden hunger, poverty and food security and this requires political commitment.

Magister Legum - LLM / This paper seeks to answer the following question: how can municipalities manage and regulate markets in a manner that facilitates access to food and contributes to the enhancement of food security? In attempting to answer this question, the paper will also address the following questions: what does the term 'food security' mean? What does 'access to food' mean? What does the 'right to food' mean? What are the powers and functions of local government? What are the limits, problems or risks attached to the exercise of these powers? What constitutes 'markets' or 'fresh produce markets' in this case? What is the scope of local government's legislative and executive competence regarding food 'markets', as enumerated in Part B of Schedule 5 of the Constitution? And, how can municipalities utilise food markets as a means to facilitate access to food and address the issue of food security? This paper will focus primarily on fresh produce markets, as opposed to other markets or 'markets' in their entirety. This limitation is based on the argument that fresh produce markets are more relevant for the role of local government in facilitating access to food because they provide a platform for the sale and purchase of fresh produce, which is important for nutritional purposes. The argument presented in this thesis centres around the facilitation of access to food, by local government, through the regulation and management of markets. The paper will address the problem by examining the concepts of 'food security' and 'access to food' in the South African context, as well as in the international context. In examining the above concepts, the paper will also include the right to food. The paper will further look at how South Africa has responded to the issue of food security through its national food security policies. The paper will look at how local food markets are utilised internationally to facilitate access to food and thereafter, examine how food markets should be utilised to facilitate access to food in South Africa. Thereafter, an examination of the powers and functions of local government as entrenched in the Constitution will be provided, as well as the implications of such powers, the limitations and the problems attached to the exercise of local government powers. Lastly, the paper looks at local government's competence regarding food 'markets' in Schedule 5B of the Constitution, as well as the other competencies related to food/food security. Although local government has the scope to address the issue of food security by exercising its legislative and executive authority over the competence ‘markets’ as per Schedule 5B of the Constitution, this study does not focus solely on the management and regulation of 'markets'. The study extends and includes related competencies such as trade regulations, the licensing and control of undertakings that sell food to the public, municipal abattoirs, street trading and municipal health service, and shows how the links between these competencies provide local government with the opportunity to contribute to the enhancement of food security.

This study explores the meaning and value of Basotho traditional farming practices and Indigenous knowing using Indigenous methodology. The study sought to 1) understand the core tenets of Basotho traditional farming practices that involve Indigenous knowledge and sustainable land care; 2) investigate the implications of these practices, and how they may inform school curriculum in ways that promote food security and reduce child hunger; and 3) examine the role of gender in food practices in Lesotho. I collaborated with women Elders who knew oral traditions or traditional farming practices by working with children on a school farm. I used Basotho ways of knowing and communication to gather data including storytelling and observation. I complemented my observation data by utilizing photographs and field notes. The Elders shared their farming experiences, oral traditions, and knowledge including the cultural and survival significance of selecting, preserving, and sharing seeds, how to grow diverse, healthy, and nutritious food and how to be food self-sufficient. They spoke of and demonstrated ways to gather people together as a community to plant, harvest, and share food while caring for the land through culturally respectful practices. The Elders further shared ways to think about and relate to the land as a gift, as 'a being' from Creator, to be respected and cared for in the same way humans care for themselves. The Elders underscored the need to promote food security and land care through a food curriculum that embraces traditional farming practices steeped in Indigenous knowledge. Farming practices such as letsema (community collaborating in fieldwork), hlakantsutsu culture (diversified mixed cropping), koti (minimizing tillage), use of animal dung and ash fertilizers, selecting and preserving native seeds and molala (allowing land to rest after harvest) can constitute a desired curriculum. The Elders taught me what I understood as, and call, the principles of Re seng (we are all related): all humans and non-humans alike, rootedness, letsema (community collaboration), interdependence, connectedness, reciprocity, respect and care for the land. Reflection on these principles continuously shaped the study's theoretical framework with consequent implications on the participatory action methodology, which I characterize as the Basotho Indigenous Participatory Action Methodology. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

This case study analysis looks at four communities in Rift Valley, Kenya including Matisi, Moi’s Bridge, Sirende and Waitaluk. The research focuses on the role of markets in achieving food and livelihood security for the smallholders in these communities and smallholders’ perceptions of the roles of the Government of Kenya and other institutions in facilitating market access. The largest challenges to market participation, as reported by the smallholders in the studied communities, include low yields, weather inconsistencies, and lack of land. In terms of the Government of Kenya, many smallholders noted the benefits of participating in groups as they are subsequently offered training or field days and subsidies. A significant group of respondents did comment on their lack of interest in joining similar groups as they were seen as unstable or corrupt. The potential roles of formal and informal markets to increase food security were also analyzed. All smallholders wished to be participating in informal markets, but twenty-five percent were constrained by the lack of surplus produce. Similarly, although many reported their desire to be participants in formal markets lack of surplus produce, price fluctuations, inconsistent weather patterns, transportation costs and post- harvest losses or food waster were recognized as significant barriers. In order to mitigate these constraints, most smallholders recommended subsidies on inputs and the overall restructuring of markets. It is recommended that organizations and governments implement a livelihood diversification policy program or initiative to diversify and intensify agricultural activities and other non-agricultural activities. This case study analysis demonstrates the need to recognize the importance of local contexts, specifically Rift Valley as much of the research done in Kenya is found in Nairobi and surrounding areas and cautions labeling communities as food secure based on favorable conditions.

This study is based on ethnographic research that was conducted in the villages of Santa María de Rivas and San Gerardo de Rivas in the coffee farming region of Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica. While these two villages are in close proximity to each other, the economy of San Gerardo is based more on tourism than the economy of Santa María, although both towns still engage in agricultural activities. Within each village, I conducted 15 preliminary interviews, followed by ten follow-up interviews with the main food preparers of the households. From in depth discussions, I found that food consumption patterns of people in both towns were being affected by seasonal variations in incomes due to the cyclical nature of employment in both tourism and agriculture. A number of households from these villages were experiencing periods of food worries throughout the year that were linked to the seasonality of tourism as well as agriculture, and in particular coffee production. Seasonal availability of particular food items also shaped consumption patterns; however, perceptions of food insecurity in this context appear to be primarily related to problems of access.