Households Food Security in Imo State, South-East Nigeria: The Role of Non-farm Income Diversification

This research examined income diversification's impact on food security among rural households in Imo State, Nigeria. The study selected 150 respondents from five local governments in Imo State. Primary data for the study was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and farmer interviews. Various statistical methods, including descriptive statistics, multinomial regression, and Food consumption score, were employed to analyze the data. According to the results, the responders' average age was 40 years old., with the majority (62.7%) being male and 79.3% married. Additionally, 70.7% of the respondents had secondary school education. The most common off-farm activity among the respondents was trading, accounting for 58.7%. The food security status of the respondents was classified as either acceptable, borderline or poor, with a food security incidence rate of 26% for the acceptable group, 39.33% for the borderline and 34.67% for the poor. The results of the multinomial regression analysis indicated that education, level of diversification, income and farming activity were all significant in determining the households' food security. Some of the recommendations include the provision of accessible and quality education by the government, and the promotion and enhancement of involvement of farmers in agricultural value addition to boost their income in rural areas.