IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/aaae23/365980.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

How agroecology food system enhances social and political agency for Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) among smallholder farmers in Nigeria

Author

Listed:
  • Ume, C. O.

Abstract

Agroecology has been portrayed as a practice and as a sustainable food system aimed at promoting human well-being, sustainability, and social cohesion among agrarian communities. In contrast to the large body of literature linking agroecology to food security and nutrition through sustainable production practices associated with agroecology, research on how agroecology boasts social and political agency for food security and nutrition among smallholder farmers is sparse. We investigated the case of an agroecology group operating parallel to the dominant Agri-industrial food system in Southeast Nigeria. By applying a quantile semi-parametric propensity score matching approach we go beyond the state of the art to uncover the social and political pathways through which agroecology strengthens the food and nutrition security of smallholder farmers who lacks the capacity to integrate into the capitalistic food system. Apart from the sustainable farming practices associated with agroecology, our results point to additional indirect pathways such as peer-to-peer activities, gain in time use, self-provisioning, and production diversity through which agroecology as a farm organization positively influences the food security and nutrition of smallholder farmers. Furthermore, we found that the increase in food security and nutrition was highest among those farmers who balance self-provisioning and market dependence (about 50% of consumption comes from self-provisioning), compared to the extreme cases (those who are entirely dependent on the market for food). Our approach shows the value of the concept of reproduction of the environmental and social spheres in addressing nutrition and probably underscoring the success of any food system initiative on smallholder farm households, which are not solely integrated into the market economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Ume, C. O., 2023. "How agroecology food system enhances social and political agency for Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) among smallholder farmers in Nigeria," 2023 Seventh AAAE/60th AEASA Conference, September 18-21, 2023, Durban, South Africa 365980, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaae23:365980
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.365980
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/365980/files/44.%20Agroecology%20in%20Nigeria.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.365980?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ying-Ju Chen & J. George Shanthikumar & Zuo-Jun Max Shen, 2015. "Incentive for Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Sharing among Farmers in Developing Economies," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 24(9), pages 1430-1440, September.
    2. Jalan, Jyotsna & Ravallion, Martin, 2003. "Does piped water reduce diarrhea for children in rural India?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 112(1), pages 153-173, January.
    3. Omotilewa, Oluwatoba J. & Jayne, T.S. & Muyanga, Milu & Aromolaran, Adebayo B. & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O. & Awokuse, Titus, 2021. "A revisit of farm size and productivity: Empirical evidence from a wide range of farm sizes in Nigeria," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    4. Montalbano, P. & Pietrelli, R. & Salvatici, L., 2018. "Participation in the market chain and food security: The case of the Ugandan maize farmers," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 81-98.
    5. T.S. Jayne & Jordan Chamberlin & Lulama Traub & Nicholas Sitko & Milu Muyanga & Felix K. Yeboah & Ward Anseeuw & Antony Chapoto & Ayala Wineman & Chewe Nkonde & Richard Kachule, 2016. "Africa's changing farm size distribution patterns: the rise of medium-scale farms," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(S1), pages 197-214, November.
    6. Hoddinott, John & Haddad, Lawrence, 1995. "Does Female Income Share Influence Household Expenditures? Evidence from Cote d'Ivoire," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 57(1), pages 77-96, February.
    7. Joseph Kangmennaang & Rachel Bezner Kerr & Esther Lupafya & Laifolo Dakishoni & Mangani Katundu & Isaac Luginaah, 2017. "Impact of a participatory agroecological development project on household wealth and food security in Malawi," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(3), pages 561-576, June.
    8. Elisa Oteros-Rozas & Federica Ravera & Marina García-Llorente, 2019. "How Does Agroecology Contribute to the Transitions towards Social-Ecological Sustainability?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-13, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shadrack Kipkogei & Jiqin Han & Gershom Mwalupaso & John Tanui & Robert Brenya, 2025. "The synergistic effects of microcredit access and agricultural technology adoption on maize farmer’s income in Kenya," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(1), pages 1-26, January.
    2. Muhammad Asad Ur Rehman Naseer & Amar Razzaq & Muhammad Ashfaq & Mubashir Mehdi & Sajid Karim & Muhammad Shoaib Naseer, 2023. "Beyond Subsistence: Linking Citrus Smallholders to High-Value Markets for Sustainable Supply Chain Development in Pakistan," Journal of Economic Impact, Science Impact Publishers, vol. 5(3), pages 246-257.
    3. Norbert Schady & Ariel Fiszbein & Francisco H.G. Ferreira & Niall Keleher & Margaret Grosh & Pedro Olinto & Emmanuel Skoufias, 2009. "Conditional Cash Transfers : Reducing Present and Future Poverty," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2597.
    4. Xi Zhou & Mao Liu & Anjiao Ouyang, 2023. "Which Scale Is Appropriate for the Sustainable Management of Paddy Field?—A Case Study of Jiaxing, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, April.
    5. Minot, Nicholas & Warner, James & Dejene, Samson & Zewdie, Tadiwos, 2021. "Agricultural Commercialization in Ethiopia: Results from the Analysis of Panel Household Data," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315314, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Chiarella, Cristina & Meyfroidt, Patrick & Abeygunawardane, Dilini & Conforti, Piero, 2023. "Balancing the trade-offs between land productivity, labor productivity and labor intensity," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 52(10), pages 1618-1634.
    7. Hannah Pieters & Andrea Guariso & Anneleen Vandeplas, 2013. "Conceptual framework for the analysis of the determinants of food and nutrition security," FOODSECURE Working papers 13, LEI Wageningen UR.
    8. Lucia Rizzica, 2018. "When the Cat’s Away The Effects of Spousal Migration on Investments on Children," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 32(1), pages 85-108.
    9. Alberto Chong & Virgilio Galdo & Máximo Torero, 2005. "Does Privatization Deliver? Access to Telephone Services and Household Income in Poor Rural Areas Using a Quasi-Natural Experiment in Peru," Research Department Publications 4417, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    10. Ashish Kumar Sedai, 2021. "Who Benefits from Piped Water in the House? Empirical Evidence from a Gendered Analysis in India," ADBI Working Papers 1273, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    11. Frank R. Lichtenberg, 2014. "Has Medical Innovation Reduced Cancer Mortality?," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 60(1), pages 135-177.
    12. de Brauw, Alan & Gilligan, Daniel O. & Hoddinott, John & Roy, Shalini, 2014. "The Impact of Bolsa Família on Women’s Decision-Making Power," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 487-504.
    13. Marta Marson & Donatella Saccone & Elena Vallino, 2023. "Total trade, cereals trade and undernourishment: new empirical evidence for developing countries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 159(2), pages 299-332, May.
    14. Sevias Guvuriro & Frederik Booysen, 2021. "Family‐type public goods and intra‐household decision‐making by co‐resident South African couples," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 1629-1647, August.
    15. Matthias Doepke & Michèle Tertilt, 2019. "Does female empowerment promote economic development?," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 309-343, December.
    16. Lovemore C. Gwiriri & James Bennett & Cletos Mapiye & Sara Burbi, 2021. "Emerging from Below? Understanding the Livelihood Trajectories of Smallholder Livestock Farmers in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-24, February.
    17. Lourdes Diaz Olvera & Didier Plat & Pascal Pochet, 2015. "Assessment of mobility inequalities and income data collection. Methodological issues and a case study (Douala, Cameroon)," Post-Print halshs-01205776, HAL.
    18. Jennifer Roberts & Karl Taylor, 2017. "Intra-household commuting choices and local labour markets," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 69(3), pages 734-757.
    19. Franklin, Simon, 2020. "Enabled to work: The impact of government housing on slum dwellers in South Africa," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:aaae23:365980. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaaeaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.