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Ameliorating Food and Nutrition Security in Farm Households: Does Informatization Matter?

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  • Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso

    (College of Economics and Management, China Center for Food Security Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
    Department of Agriculture and Agribusiness, Prince G Academy and Consultancy, Kabwe 10101, Zambia
    School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, Kitwe 10101, Zambia)

  • Shangao Wang

    (College of Economics and Management, China Center for Food Security Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

  • Aseres Mamo Eshetie

    (Devoted Consulting PLC, Lideta Sub City, Addis Ababa 1000, Ethiopia)

  • Xu Tian

    (College of Economics and Management, China Center for Food Security Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

Abstract

Improving food and nutrition security in Sub-Saharan Africa’s farm households has become a prominent priority subject for researchers and policymakers alike. Interestingly, it is realized through enhancement in dietary diversity and quality. To this end, better access to food and information is considered a prerequisite. Given that mobile phone coverage offers new prospects for increasing rural households’ access to information, can informatization (mobile phone used as a concrete example) possibly influence dietary diversity and quality? Cross-sectional data collected from farm households in Zambia is used to address this topic by applying the ordinary least square and endogenous switching regression (ESR). Household dietary diversity score was constructed based on a 7-days recall approach to measure consumption patterns. Our robust regression result indicates that mobile phone use positively and significantly influences dietary diversity and quality. Particularly, gender-disaggregated regression reveals that male-headed households have stronger positive associations than their counterparts. We also find that in comparison to non-adopters, adopters consume three more foods weekly. This is attributable to the income gains and increased frequency in information access on account of mobile phone adoption. Conversely, average consumption would increase by two more foods weekly if mobile phones were adopted in non-adopting households. Therefore, our study puts forwards substantial empirical evidence to warrant policy formulation directed at promoting informatization among farm households. Eventually, this could possibly recuperate dynamism in agricultural food production as food and nutrition security in farm households ameliorates.

Suggested Citation

  • Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Shangao Wang & Aseres Mamo Eshetie & Xu Tian, 2020. "Ameliorating Food and Nutrition Security in Farm Households: Does Informatization Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-20, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:522-:d:307156
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    1. Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Xu Tian & Xianhui Geng, 2020. "Rethinking Food Production: Nexus of Mobile Phones and Production Cost Minimization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-12, April.
    2. Aseres Mamo Eshetie & Eunice Matafwali & Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Jie Li & Aijun Liu, 2022. "Nexus of Cash Crop Production Using Improved Varieties and Household Food Security," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1803-1830, August.

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