LIVELIHOODS AND FOOD SECURITY IN RURAL MYANMAR: SURVEY FINDINGS A joint Australia-Myanmar project funded through the Australian Research Council Livelihoods and Food Security in Myanmar i CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................. iv Scope of the study ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Objective ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Sampling method ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Data collection method ................................................................................................................................ 7 Comparison to other studies ....................................................................................................................... 8 Demographics ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 Housing and material possessions ............................................................................................................. 12 Household assets ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Water, sanitation and cooking............................................................................................................... 16 Productive assets ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Livelihoods ................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Agriculture ............................................................................................................................................................ 22 Livelihood diversity .......................................................................................................................................... 29 Migration ............................................................................................................................................................... 33 Household food production .......................................................................................................................... 36 Own-consumption of home garden and tree/Vine crop production ........................ 36 Own-consumption of animal foods .................................................................................................... 38 Own consumption of wild foods ........................................................................................................... 39 Own-consumption of all household own-produced foods ................................................. 40 Women’s autonomy ........................................................................................................................................... 42 Household food security and nutrition status .................................................................................... 44 Method and comparison with other surveys ................................................................................ 44 Household food security: Approach .................................................................................................. 44 Household food security: Results ........................................................................................................... 46 Dietary diversity: Approach ...................................................................................................................... 51 Dietary Diversity: Results .............................................................................................................................. 53 Anthropometry: Approach ....................................................................................................................... 55 Anthropometry: Results ................................................................................................................................ 57 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................ 59 References ................................................................................................................................................................ 60 Livelihoods and Food Security in Myanmar ii FIGURES Figure 1. Population pyramids for the sampled population ......................................................... 10 Figure 2. Highest educational attainment of all persons over 15 in surveyed households ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 3. Ethnic composition of Ayeyarwady sampled villages................................................. 11 Figure 4. Household assets – Pakokku (Magway) ................................................................................ 13 Figure 5. Household assets – Yesagyo (Magway) ............................................................................... 13 Figure 6. Household assets – Kanpetlet (Chin) ....................................................................................... 13 Figure 7. Household assets – Mindat (Chin) ............................................................................................. 14 Figure 8. Household assets - Kyaiklet (Ayeyarwady) .......................................................................... 14 Figure 9. Household assets - Maubin (Ayeyarwady) .......................................................................... 14 Figure 10. Distribution of mains electricity across villages in each township ..................... 16 Figure 11. Sources of drinking water by township ................................................................................ 17 Figure 12. Sanitation systems by village ...................................................................................................... 19 Figure 13. Proportion of households with productive assets - Kyaiklet ................................... 21 Figure 14. Proportion of households with productive assets - Maubin ................................... 21 Figure 15. Distribution of average landholding size in Magway and Ayeyarwady townships ........................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Figure 16. Proportion of households that are landholders - Pakokku ..................................... 24 Figure 17. Proportion of households that are landholders - Yesagyo ..................................... 24 Figure 18.Proportion of households that are landholders - Kanpetlet ................................... 25 Figure 19. Proportion of households that are landholders - Mindat ........................................ 25 Figure 20. Proportion of households that are landholders - Kyaiklet ....................................... 25 Figure 21. Proportion of households that are landholders - Maubin ....................................... 25 Figure 22. Major crops grown by landholding respondents - Pakokku ................................. 26 Figure 23.Major crops grown by landholding respondents - Yesagyo .................................. 26 Figure 24. Major crops grown by landholding respondents - Kanpetlet .............................. 27 Figure 25. Major crops grown by landholding respondents - Mindat .................................... 27 Figure 26. Major crops grown by landholding respondents - Kyaiklet ................................... 28 Figure 27. Major crops grown by landholding respondents - Maubin ................................... 28 Figure 28. Proportion of land irrigation by township ........................................................................... 29 Figure 29. Household livelihoods in the Magway townships ......................................................... 31 Figure 30. Household livelihoods in the Chin townships ................................................................... 32 Figure 31. Household livelihoods in the Ayeyarwady townships ................................................ 32 Figure 32. Destination of migrants by township ..................................................................................... 34 Figure 33. Seasonal migration pattern ........................................................................................................ 35 Figure 34. Proportion of households with at least one migrant, by village ......................... 35 Figure 35. Home gardens by township ....................................................................................................... 37 Figure 36. Households with livestock for consumption - Chin ...................................................... 38 Figure 37. Households with livestock for consumption - Magway ...........................................