An Assessment of Food Security Status and Contribution of Livestock in Households Consumption Profile: A Comparative Study in Different Regions of Punjab

Livestock is one of the fastest-growing sectors, especially in emerging economies, to meet the projected demand for protein for the growing population. Livestock’s role is beyond its contribution to meat and milk. It affects food security in multiple ways. The current study is designed to assess the food security status of households having livestock and the caloric contribution of livestock in the consumption profile of households. For this purpose, a sample of 456 households was collected from three districts (152 from each Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi) of Punjab, representing the southern, central, and northern regions of the province. The calorie intake of households is assessed by studying the consumption profile and evaluation of generated energy in terms of calories to assess food security. The contribution of livestock is estimated from cumulative energy generated in the form of calories from the consumption of livestock products. Data analysis reflects that 59% of Bahawalpur households are food secure compared to Faisalabad, where 63% of households are food insecure. Similarly, Rawalpindi has 60% of households with food security status. The households with livestock and whose women participate in livestock activities extract 20% of their nutrition from animal sources in Bahawalpur, 20% in Faisalabad, and 30% in Rawalpindi. The overall food security situation can be improved by increasing the share of livestock products in the household’s consumption profile.