ASSESSMENT OF WELFARE SHOCKS AND FOOD INSECURITY IN EPHRAIM MOGALE AND GREATER TUBATSE MUNICIPALITY OF SEKHUKHUNE DISTRICT, LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA by PETER TEMITOPE AGBOOLA Submitted in partial fulfilment in accordance with the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the subject AGRICULTURE at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF A.S. OYEKALE SEPTEMBER 2016 i TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE DECLARATION ..................................................................................................................... vii DEDICATION ....................................................................................................................... viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... ix ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... x ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................... xii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. xv LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. xvi CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 THE BACKGROUND.................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Motivation for the Study ................................................................................................. 7 1.4 Study Objectives and Benefits ........................................................................................ 8 1.4.1 Broad Objectives ............................................................................................................... 8 1.4.2 Specific Objectives............................................................................................................ 8 1.4.3 Benefits of the Study ........................................................................................................ 8 CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................................... 9 LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 9 2.1 The concept of food security........................................................................................... 9 ii 2.1.1 Food Availability .............................................................................................................. 9 2.1.2 Food Accessibility ........................................................................................................... 10 2.1.3 Utilisation of the Food .................................................................................................... 10 2.1.4 Stability ........................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Food Security Status in South Africa............................................................................ 13 2.3 Household Food Security Targets and Measurement .................................................. 14 2.4 Impact of shocks on household .................................................................................... 15 2.4.1 High food prices in South Africa ..................................................................................... 15 2.4.2 Drought ........................................................................................................................... 16 2.4.3 Impact of Drought on Food Security ............................................................................... 17 2.4.4 Impact of HIV/AIDS on Food Security ........................................................................... 17 CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................. 19 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 19 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 19 3.2 Study Area .................................................................................................................... 19 3.3 Data collection design ................................................................................................... 20 3.4 Data Collection Instrument ........................................................................................... 21 3.5 Sample size and procedure............................................................................................ 21 3.6 Statistical Analysis ........................................................................................................ 23 3.6.1 Descriptive Statistics ............................................................................................................ 23 3.6.2 Statistical Inference ......................................................................................................... 23 3.6.3 Multiple Linear Regression ............................................................................................. 24 3.6.4 Limitation and Delimitation of the study......................................................................... 27 iii CHAPTER FOUR .................................................................................................................... 28 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .............................................................................................. 28 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 28 4.2 Demographic characteristics of study households ........................................................ 28 4.2.1 Gender of household head ............................................................................................... 30 4.2.2 Age group ....................................................................................................................... 31 4.2.3 Household size ................................................................................................................ 32 4.2.4 Educational level of the household head ......................................................................... 33 4.2.5 Employment status of household head ............................................................................ 34 4.2.6 Distribution of household heads by main source of income ............................................ 35 4.2.7 Household income classes ............................................................................................... 36 4.2.8 Household expenditure .................................................................................................... 37 4.2.9 Household farm sizes ...................................................................................................... 38 4.2.10 Household Access to agricultural farm land/types of crop grown ................................... 38 4.2.11 Access to Farm Animal/Livestock Ownership ................................................................ 39 4.3 Household Food Accessibility ...................................................................................... 41 4.3.1 Household food consumption pattern .............................................................................. 41 4.3.2 Household Food Sources ................................................................................................ 42 4.4 Shocks stresses and coping strategies ........................................................................... 43 4.4.1 Common shocks and stresses .......................................................................................... 43 4.4.2 Sickness of Household Member ...................................................................................... 44 4.4.3 Age of diseased ............................................................................................................... 45 4.4.4 Nature of Sickness........................................................................................................... 45 4.4.3 Impact of shocks on household ....................................................................................... 46 iv 4.4.4 Coping strategies for food availability and shortage ....................................................... 47 4.5 Household food security status ..................................................................................... 49 4.5.1 Household worrying about inadequate food .................................................................... 50 4.5.2 Houshold members not able to eat foods they preferred .................................................. 50 4.5.3 Household members eating just a few kinds of foods ..................................................... 51 4.5.4 Houshold members eating foods that are not preferred ..................................................