Institutional Determinants Of Food Security In Tanzania: A Case Study Of Singida Region

ABSTRACT

Food insecurity is relatively high in Singida Region although there has been an influx of development related institutions, some of which deal with food security. The extent to which the two were linked was empirically unknown. Therefore, the research for this thesis was conducted in Iramba and Singida Districts of Singida Region to determine the role of institutions in improving food security. The specific objectives were to: (i) to appraise qualitatively the role of institutions in food security (ii) identify institutions dealing with food security and their key functions, (iii) determine food security at the household level, and (iv) establish linkages between some institutional factors and food security factors. The main indicator of food security was dietary energy consumed per adult equivalent per day, measured in kCal. Data were collected among 240 households between November 2010 and July 2011, mainly through a household questionnaire. It was found that there were various institutions; including Government departments, NGOs, CBOs and international organisations including FAO; which were related to agriculture and food security by providing support in terms of training communities on agriculture, supply of agricultural inputs, agricultural credit provision and construction of infrastructure. Food security status at the household level in the two districts was 2 179.86 kCal per adult equivalent per day as opposed to the national caloric poverty line that is 2 200 kCal per adult equivalent per day. Based on that caloric poverty line, only 32.3% of the households in Singida Districts were food secure while 67.7% of the households were food secure in Iramba District. About linkages between institutional factors and food security factors, using an F-test, it was found that dietary energy consumed differed significantly (p < 0.05) among households with different institutional factors. Moreover, using multiple linear regression, it was found that some various institutional factors (e.g. total food production with institutional support), had significant

iii

effects (p < 0.05) on food security in terms of dietary energy consumed. Based on these findings, it is concluded that some institutions help substantially improve food security at the household level. Therefore, it is recommended that concerted efforts should be made to strengthen institutions supporting agriculture and food security so that they can better help improve food security.