Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Achieving food security and reducing hunger requires comprehensive measurement for proper identification of the food insecure, the severity of food insecurity, its causes, and progress in reducing food insecurity. Measuring food security is challenging due to its multidimensional nature as all four dimensions (availability, access, utilisation, and stability) need to be achieved simultaneously. Comprehensive measurement has not been achieved as most existing indicators have a unidimensional focus and efforts to find a ‘composite indicator’ (a catch all measurement tool) have thus far been unsuccessful. This study therefore identified how the three most widely used indicators of food security, the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) and the Coping Strategies Index (CSI), can complement one other in capturing the multiple dimensions of food security. The study brought them together in one cross-sectional household survey of 409 randomly selected households in Taraba State, Nigeria. The results show that 69 percent of households in Taraba had a very low food security status, 23 percent had low food security, and 8 percent had high or marginal food security. About 34 percent of the households used very erosive coping strategies. Very low food security status was found to be associated with: a household head who is a farmer, less educated, or divorced; low household income and expenditure; large household size; and not owning large plots of land. The survey revealed that most households that obtain the greater proportion of their food from own production, and spend most of their income on the purchase of starchy staples were in the very low food security category. Those that sourced their food mainly through purchase, and spent more on fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and processed foods were in the high or marginal food security category. The study showed that the key indicators followed a clear complementary pattern. The bivariate analysis showed a significant difference (P<0.01) in DDS and CSI across HFIAS categories. The HFIAS very low food security category is characterised by the lowest food diversity and highest CSI, revealing that the depth of food insecurity is intense among the extreme group. The study demonstrated that these three indicators can be used together for a fuller understanding of the relationships between the different dimensions of food security, and recommended more studies in using complementary indicators to measure food security. This thesis is presented as the two academic articles option: the first article reviews the measurement of food security and complementarity of the three measures, while the second article discusses the findings of the survey. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bereiking van voedselsekerheid en die bekamping van hongersnood vereis omvattende meting vir die korrekte identifikasie van voedselonsekerheid, die erns daarvan, die oorsake daarvan, en die proses van voedselonsekerheidvermindering. Die meting van voedselsekerheid is ʼn uitdaging as gevolg van die multidimensionele aard daarvan, aangesien die onderskeie dimensies (beskikbaarheid, toegang, benutting, en stabiliteit) tegelyktydig bereik moet word. Omvattende meting is nog nie bereik nie, aangesien bestaande aanwysers ʼn eendimensionele fokus het, en aangesien pogings om ʼn ‘saamgestelde aanwyser’ (‘n allesomvattende metingsinstrument) te vind, tot dusver onsuksesvol was. Hierdie studie het dus geïdentifiseer hoe die drie mees algemene aanwysers vir voedselsekerheid, naamlik die Huishoudelike Voedselonsekerheid Toegangskaal (HFIAS), die Dieetkundige Diversiteitstelling (DDS) en die Hanteringstrategieë Indeks (CSI), mekaar kan aanvul om die verskeie dimensies van voedselsekuriteit vas te vang. Die studie het die bogenoemde instrumente saam geïmplementeer in ʼn deursnee-huishoudelike opname van 409 ewekansig-geselekteerde huishoudings in Taraba Staat, Nigerië. Die resultate het 69 persent van huishoudings in Taraba met ‘n baie lae voedselsekerheid-status getoon, 23 persent met ʼn lae voedselsekerheid-status, en 8 persent met ʼn hoë of geringe voedselsekerheid-status. Ongeveer 34 persent van die huishoudings het baie verwerende hanteringsstrategieë gebruik. Baie lae voedselsekerheid-status is bevind om meer geassosieer te word met: ʼn huishoudelike hoof wat ʼn boer is, minder opgevoed is, of geskei is; waar daar lae huishoudelike inkomste en uitgawes teenwoordig is; ʼn groot huishoudelike grootte; en die nie-besitting van eiendom. Die opname het geopenbaar dat die meeste huishoudings wat die grootter proporsie van hulle voedsel vanaf eie produksie verkry, en die meeste van hulle inkomste op die aankoop van styselagtige stapelvoedsel spandeer, in die baie lae voedselsekerheid-kategorie geval het. Diegene wat hulle voedsel hoofsaaklik deur aankope verkry het, en meer spandeer het op vars vrugte, groente, vleis, vis, eiers en geprosesseerde kosse, was in die hoë/ geringe voedselsekerheid kategorie. Die studie het bevind dat die sleutelaanwysers ʼn duidelike aanvullende patroon gevolg het. Die tweeveranderlike ontleding het ʼn beduidende verskil (P<0.01) in DDS en CSI oor HFIAS-kategorieë getoon. Die HIFIAS baie lae voedselsekerheidkategorie word gekenmerk deur die laagste voedseldiversiteit en hoogste CSI, wat openbaar dat die diepte van voedselonsekerheid intensief is onder die uiterste groep. Die studie het gedemonstreer dat hierdie drie aanwysers saam gebruik kan word om ʼn beter begrip van die verhoudings tussen die verskillende dimensies van voedselsekuriteit te verkry, en daar is aanbeveel dat meer navorsing onderneem word aangaande die gebruik van aanvullende aanwysers om voedselsekuriteit te meet. Hierdie tesis word aangebied as die twee-akademiese-artikels opsie: die eerste artikel bied ʼn oorsig van die meting van voedselsekerheid en die aanvullendheid van die drie instrumente, terwyl die tweede artikel die bevindinge van die studie bespreek.

Sub-Saharan African nations are highly dependent on the agricultural sector for livelihoods. South Africa and Nigeria depend on agriculture due to the availability of abundant land, labour and natural resources. According to the theory of comparative advantage a state exports the products that it has a comparative advantage in and imports those where it does not have a comparative advantage. This is facilitated by international trade. International trade is defined as trade among nations that enables a nation to buy certain products that it cannot produce from other nations at a cheaper rate. Furthermore, it is expected that every sovereign state would be able to provide not only food and water but also good access to sufficient food and water to its people. Section 27.1b of Chapter 2 of the South African Constitution of 1996 and Article 16 of Nigeria’s Constitution of 1999 enshrine this provision. A number of factors impact food security. The first is international trade. This is spelt out in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). The agreement establishing the WTO is commonly known as the “Marrakesh Agreement.” It was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco on the 15th of April, 1994, at the end of the Uruguay Round of Multiple Trade Negotiations. The AoA consists of three pillars: market access, export subsidies and domestic support .Market access requires all parties to the AoA to remove non-tariff barriers which comprise of import quotas and restrictions and convert them to tariffs; a process known as ‘tariffication’. States are also obliged to reduce export subsidies at the same time as increasing their imports. Domestic support, states are to remove subsidy it gives to its people a process that increases the price of goods. Another factor is trade liberalization. This study examines the effects of WTO agricultural trade liberalization on food security and the mechanisms available to address this issue. It focuses on the food security implications of the WTO AoA and asserts that the AoA favours agricultural producers in developed countries. The study seeks to ascertain the extent to which the realization of the objectives of the agreement will promote food security by looking into the abovementioned three pillars and their relationship with food security. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Agricultural production has contributed over time to food security and rural economic development in developing countries particularly supporting the countryside. Evidence show that crop yields are declining in the Lower River Benue Basin of Nigeria. This study conducted a land use evaluation and suitability mapping for production of yam, cassava and also assessed the possible socioeconomic impediments that may hinder or enhance sustainable agricultural development in the Lower River Benue Basin. The study adopted physical assessments and socioeconomic approach coupled with mapping which incorporated processing of satellite imagery. Statistical methods were used to measure the status, trends, level of dispersion, and relationships between the variables of physical and socioeconomic parameters. Modelling techniques for determining potential impacts assessment, agricultural suitability index, adaptive capacity index, finally producing suitability maps. Geo-informatics processes were used to produce a digital elevation model, land use and land cover map, and normalised difference vegetation index map. The results were thematic maps, weighted percentages of attribute data, and suitability maps produced through weighted overlay. An intensive analysis of climatological data depicted a progressive intensity of rainfall, and a decreasing trend in the number of rain days; a gradual temperature rise; and high relative humidity during the planting season which is about 168 days. Laboratory analysis show that soils in the study area require fertility enhancement with inorganic fertilisers to encourage better crop yield. Results show that the Lower River Benue Basin is suitable for yam, cassava, and rice cultivation as classified on maps of suitable areas. Rice had the highest suitability percentages (38.30%). The study area was found to be moderately suitable for each of the crops examined by more than 40% for each crop. Cassava had the least suitability percentages (34.47%). Evidence suggests that agricultural development in the Lower River Benue Basin is under threat from potential impacts of climate variability and change, population growth, and infectious diseases. The agricultural suitability index of the study area regards the study area as suitable (70.5%) and the adaptive capacity index of the study area was moderate (50.83%), but it was found that serious attention need to be given to farm technology and infrastructure. Mitigation strategies and recommendations which are beneficial to the sustainable development of agriculture have been provided in line with the established characteristics of the Lower River Benue Basin. / Environmental Sciences / D. Phil. (Environmental Management)