The State of Food Access in the Souss Valley, South-Central Morocco: Insights from the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) Approach[L'état de l'accès à la nourriture dans la vallée du Souss, au centre-sud du Maroc : perspectives issues de l'approche de l'échelle d'insécurité alimentaire des ménages (HFIAS)]

This study investigates the determinants of household food security among smallholder farmers in the Souss Valley. Recognizing the household as a fundamental unit of food access and stability, the level of food security is assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), which categorizes households into four groups: food secure, marginally food insecure, moderately food insecure, and highly food insecure. A multinomial logistic regression model is employed to analyze the influence of key household characteristics, including the age and marital status of the household head, household size, farm size, number of livestock units, access to credit, remittances, income diversification, and access to irrigation, on food security status. The results reveal differentiated effects across food insecurity levels. While variables such as the household head's age and household size are associated with marginal food insecurity, access to irrigation and income diversification play a critical role in reducing the likelihood of falling into food insecurity.