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Drivers of household food availability in sub-Saharan Africa based on big data from small farms

dc.contributor.authorFrelat, Romain
dc.contributor.authorLópez Ridaura, Santiago
dc.contributor.authorGiller, Ken E.
dc.contributor.authorHerrero, Mario T.
dc.contributor.authorDouxchamps, Sabine
dc.contributor.authorDjurfeldt, Agnes Andersson
dc.contributor.authorErenstein, Olaf
dc.contributor.authorHenderson, Benjamin B.
dc.contributor.authorKassie, Menale
dc.contributor.authorPaul, Birthe K.
dc.contributor.authorRigolot, Cyrille
dc.contributor.authorRitzema, Randall S.
dc.contributor.authorRodríguez, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorAsten, Piet J.A. van
dc.contributor.authorWijk, Mark T. van
dc.date.accessioned2019-12-04T10:57:27Z
dc.date.available2019-12-04T10:57:27Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.identifier.citationFrelat, Romain; Lopez-Ridaur, Santiago; Giller, Ken E.; Herrero, Mario; Douxchamps, Sabine; Djurfeldt, Agnes Andersson; Erenstein, Olaf; Henderson, Ben; Kassie, Menale; Paul, Birthe; Rigolot, Cyrille; Ritzema, Randall S.; Rodriguez, Daniel; Van Asten, Piet J. A.; Van Wijk, Mark T. 2016. Drivers of household food availability in sub-Saharan Africa based on big data from small farms. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) 113(2): 458-463.
dc.identifier.issn0027-8424
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12478/742
dc.description.abstractWe calculated a simple indicator of food availability using data from 93 sites in 17 countries across contrasted agroecologies in sub- Saharan Africa (>13,000 farm households) and analyzed the drivers of variations in food availability. Crop production was the major source of energy, contributing 60% of food availability. The off-farm income contribution to food availability ranged from 12% for households without enough food available (18% of the total sample) to 27% for the 58% of households with sufficient food available. Using only three explanatory variables (household size, number of livestock, and land area), we were able to predict correctly the agricultural determined status of food availability for 72% of the households, but the relationships were strongly influenced by the degree of market access. Our analyses suggest that targeting poverty through improving market access and off-farm opportunities is a better strategy to increase food security than focusing on agricultural production and closing yield gaps. This calls for multisectoral policy harmonization, incentives, and diversification of employment sources rather than a singular focus on agricultural development. Recognizing and understanding diversity among smallholder farm households in sub-Saharan Africa is key for the design of policies that aim to improve food security.
dc.description.abstractWe calculated a simple indicator of food availability using data from 93 sites in 17 countries across contrasted agroecologies in sub- Saharan Africa (>13,000 farm households) and analyzed the drivers of variations in food availability. Crop production was the major source of energy, contributing 60% of food availability. The off-farm income contribution to food availability ranged from 12% for households without enough food available (18% of the total sample) to 27% for the 58% of households with sufficient food available. Using only three explanatory variables (household size, number of livestock, and land area), we were able to predict correctly the agricultural determined status of food availability for 72% of the households, but the relationships were strongly influenced by the degree of market access. Our analyses suggest that targeting poverty through improving market access and off-farm opportunities is a better strategy to increase food security than focusing on agricultural production and closing yield gaps. This calls for multisectoral policy harmonization, incentives, and diversification of employment sources rather than a singular focus on agricultural development. Recognizing and understanding diversity among smallholder farm households in sub-Saharan Africa is key for the design of policies that aim to improve food security.
dc.format.extent113(2): 458-463
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectFood Security
dc.subjectSmallholders
dc.subjectFarmers
dc.subjectAgricultores
dc.subjectYield Gap
dc.subjectFarme Size
dc.subjectSeguridad Alimentaria
dc.subjectTamaño De La Finca
dc.subjectÁfrica Al Sur Del Sahara
dc.titleDrivers of household food availability in sub-Saharan Africa based on big data from small farms
dc.typeJournal Article
dc.description.versionPeer Review
cg.contributor.crpLivestock and Fish
cg.contributor.crpClimate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
cg.contributor.crpIntegrated Systems for the Humid Tropics
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Livestock Research Institute
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
cg.contributor.affiliationWageningen University and Research Centre
cg.contributor.affiliationCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia
cg.contributor.affiliationLund University
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Center for Tropical Agriculture
cg.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Queensland
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture
cg.contributor.affiliationInstitut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France
cg.coverage.regionAfrica
cg.coverage.regionAfrica South Of Sahara
cg.isijournalISI Journal
cg.journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
cg.howpublishedFormally Published
cg.accessibilitystatusOpen Access
local.dspaceid71927
cg.targetaudienceScientists
cg.identifier.doihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1518384112


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