The contribution of adopting organic farming practices to household food security (a case study of Dovehouse Organics)
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Date
2017
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Abstract
Adoption of organic farming improves production over time, suggesting that it could be
possible to feed the growing world population through food produced using organic farming
methods. Globally, the consumer demand for naturally grown and healthier food has been
growing, creating an incentive for farmers who are engaged in organic farming. This inquiry
set out to investigate the extent to which adoption of organic farming methods or practices
contributes to household food security. Analysis compared the food security status of nontrained
farmers with farmers who had been trained by Dovehouse Organics (DVO) with a
permaculture philosophy and organic farming practices. Data were collected from 100
sampled farming households (53 trained and 47 non-trained households) through the use of a
questionnaire. The study used the Household Hunger Scale (HHS) to determine the food
security status of the farming households. A linear regression model was used to assess the
relationship between adoption of organic farming practices and household food security.
Sixty-seven percent of the sampled households were food secure. About 87% of the farming
households that adopted organic farming technology are food secure. Of the households that
did not adopt organic farming technology, 55% are food insecure. About 89% of the trained
farmers believed they were producing more than enough food for their needs, compared to
38% of the non-trained farmers. The results show that a large number of farmers adopted the
organic farming practices that were offered at DVO in their daily crop production activities.
There were various reasons for adopting the organic farming technologies, including
improved production and yield, better pest management, and improved potential for having
excess to sell. A positive relationship between adoption of organic farming practices and food
security was observed, suggesting that as farmers adopt the organic practices into their
farming systems, chances of being food secure increased. Adopting organic farming practices
may have improved the food security status of organic farming households in Richmond.
Similar studies with a larger sample size need to be conducted to ascertain the contribution of
organic farming to household food security. In terms of improving the contribution of organic
farming to food security, it is recommended that more training opportunities, production
support and guidance be made accessible, particularly for emerging organic farmers who
require information and advisors for guidance. Given the high market demand of organically
produced products, further research into opportunities that organic farmers have for selling
their produce would assist to diversify household income.
Description
Master of Science in Agricultural Extension and Rural Resource Management. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2017.