Household food-resource handling procedures and food security in Gucha Sub-County, Kisii County, Kenya

Abstract

This study was about household food-resource handling procedures and food security in Gucha sub-county, Kisii County, Kenya. Globally, 32% of all the food produced is lost or wasted, which amounts to approximately 24% of all food produced. In Kenya, approximately 40%-50% of food-resources are lost along the food production chain, which is twice the global average. In Gucha Sub-county, smallholder farming households face chronic food shortage associated with food-resource handling procedures. Despite concerted efforts to reduce food loss and waste, important data gaps remain as a major challenge with most of the previous studies focusing on determining food security status rather than mitigating food loss and waste. Little focus has been invested towards understanding how household food-resource handling procedures contribute to incidences of food loss and waste. Household social cultural behaviour aspects play important role in explaining food-resources handling procedures. However, this social cultural dimension is least studied. This study sought to assess how household food-resource handling procedures affect availability of food in the study area. The specific objectives of the study were to analyze the influence of household organization of agronomic procedures on food availability among rural households in Gucha Sub-County; to examine how household harvesting procedures affect food security among rural households in Gucha Sub-County; to assess the effect of household food storage procedures‟ on food availability among rural households in Gucha Sub-County; to examine how household food consumption patterns and exchange procedures affect food security among rural households in Gucha Sub-County. The study employed Real Life Situation and Personal Construct theories to understand farmers‟ social behavior in food-resource handling procedures. The study employed a descriptive survey research design in giving descriptive accounts of the various situations observed on household food-resource handling in Gucha Sub-county. The researcher employed interview schedule, key informant interview, focus group discussions and direct observation as the main methods of data collection. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling were used to select 377 respondents. Data was analyzed using qualitative technique as well as quantitative technique. The study found that food loss and waste occur along the food production chain starting from agronomic, pre-harvesting, harvesting, processing, storage, consumption and to exchange procedures. The study findings manifested an agricultural production system characteristic of smallholder rural farmers, employing simple farming techniques where both traditional and modern technologies are employed. However, the majority preferred traditional farming techniques. Consequently, respondents experienced low maize harvest. Food availability, affordability and taste and preference influenced their consumption and exchange behavior, resulting to significant food losses and waste. The study concluded that food-resource handling procedures from agronomic, pre-harvest, harvest to post-harvesting stages contributed a significant loss of all the household food harvested in a season. The study recommended for a shift towards understanding household social cultural behavior in relation to food-resource handling procedures, and its influence on household food availability.