Food security of organic rice farmers
The method employed to assess the food security status of organic rice farming households in Sleman Regency involves utilizing the food expenditure share approach. This approach utilizes an indicator developed by Jhonson and Thole, which measures the proportion of household expenditure allocated to food
(Maxwell et al., 2000). To put it differently, it involves combining both the proportion of Food Expenditure (SFE) and the Energy Adequacy Rate (LEA)
(Pradnyadewi et al., 2021).
According to the data provided in Table 1, the average proportion of food expenditure in Sleman Regency is 62.44%, which means that food insecurity can be seen from 4 districts, namely Sleman, Cangkringan, Pakem and Berbah Districts. However, when it is viewed based on the distribution of each district, there is one district with a percentage of 57.77%, namely Pakem District. In Pakem District, this can be interpreted as a district that is included in the food security category, because the percentage of the district is less than 60%. This condition shows that organic food production has not been able to support food security. Therefore, food security needs to be supported by significant growth in food production
(Verma et al., 2024).
An increase in the proportion of expenditure in the food group can be an indicator of the decline in the welfare of a household. The economic well-being of households has an impact on the food consumption of food-deprived households, affecting both the quality and quantity of their food. When household welfare is low, priority is given to fulfilling their food requirements rather than non-food necessities. Conversely, households with high levels of welfare are more capable of meeting non-food needs, in addition to their food needs. In fact, they already have the awareness to choose quality, safe and healthy food
(Krishnasree et al., 2018).
The findings are consistent with Engel’s law and Bennet’s law, which indicate that as a household’s wealth increases, the proportion of their spending allocated to food decreases
(Miranti et al., 2016). The richer a household is, the richer they will change the pattern of food consumption from before which was dominated by vegetables with simple nutrition to be more varied, namely by consuming vegetables, fruit, milk and meat. In addition, with a high household income, it can make the household buy better food needs that can meet the nutritional needs of these household members (
Sandra Yofa Zebua, 2020).
The level of energy adequacy is obtained from the household nutrition adequacy rate which is calculated based on the calculation of the Food Expectation Pattern (FEP), namely the amount of energy consumption from various food sources every day. Households can be said to be sufficiently of food if their energy consumption is more 80% of the established nutritional adequacy rate. Table 2 present the organic rice farming households in Sleman Regency have an average Energy Adequacy Level (LEA) of 69.83% smaller than the average energy efficiency level (LEA) of 80%. This can be interpreted that the Energy Power Level (LEA) in Sleman Regency is included in the category of less. However, when viewed from the distribution of each sub-district, Pakem is a district that is included in the sufficient category, which is 89.79% of the average energy adequacy level (LEA) of 80%. The low level of Energy Adequacy is caused by the average income earned by the households in Sleman Regency, which is IDR.1,603,761 which is lower than the regional minimum wage (RMW) in force in Sleman Regency, which is IDR. 2,100,000 according to Statistical data of Yogyakarta Province. With a sufficient income, the households will find it easier to determine food choices according to their tastes. Vice versa, if income is less, households will be limited in determining food choices.
This study examines the food security level by analyzing two key indicators: the proportion of food expenditure and the level of energy adequacy. The household’s food security level is determined by assessing whether each member has access to enough food to meet their needs and if the household has the financial capability to purchase an adequate amount of food. The table below presents the distribution of food security levels based on Jhon and Thole indicators
(Maxwell et al., 2000).
The largest distribution of organic rice farming households in Sleman Regency with food insecurity status is depicted. This shows that most organic rice farming households in Sleman Regency have a high proportion of food expenditure (SFE ≥ 60%) of the total expenditure and lack of energy adequacy level (LEA≤ 80%). A different research study indicated that merely 28.12% of farmers enjoyed a relatively high level of food security. Families classified as having marginal food security are at risk but have not yet faced hunger. On the other hand, those with low food security status are no longer considered to be at risk
(Yunus et al., 2020).
One recommendation is to enhance local rice production by utilizing the currently available agricultural land. This approach aims to ensure an adequate supply of rice for both short-term and long-term food security (
Suriani and Sartiyah, 2020). Nevertheless, it is crucial to develop a production system that is centered around sustainability and market principles in order to enhance both household food security and well-being (
Dube and Ozkan, 2022). More market access equals more food security for farmers, but market access also ensures greater food security
(Corsi et al., 2017).
In sub-Saharan Africa, the impoverished and vulnerable ethnic groups can adopt agroecological techniques to significantly enhance food security and nutrition (
Bezner Kerr et al., 2019). By employing local resources from a variety of sub-sectors that work in tandem with technology as a new source of revenue for the community through empowerment to secure food security, Integrated Farming System will develop optimally
(Rachmawatie et al., 2019). Thus the role of counseling and changes in farmer behavior is a factor that needs to be considered, because the better the characteristics of the farmers, the better the behavior of the farmers to meet food needs (
Molaei, 2019). The availability of the agricultural skills can improve the household food security and that interventions can increase the agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers
(Maziya et al., 2017). Additionally, cooperative participation makes it easier for women farmers to access beneficial resources like loans, which helps to improve the situation of food security (
Ingutia and Sumelius, 2022).
Factors affecting farmer households’ food security
One of the methods utilized in this study to determine the variables influencing the food security of the households engaged in organic rice farming in Sleman Regency is multiple linear regression analysis. The percentage of food expenditure and the level of energy sufficiency serve as the dependent variables (Y) in this analysis. The age of the family head (X
1), the level of education of the head of the household (X
2), the number of family members (X
3), farm income (X
4), non-farming income (X
5) and food expenditure (X
6) are the six factors that make up the independent variable (X). The following table shows the findings of the analysis of the variables that affect the food security of households engaged in organic rice growing.
According to Table 3, the corrected R2 value is 0.391, meaning that independent variables can only account for 39.1% of the food security of the organic rice farmers in Sleman Regency, leaving another factor outside the model to account for the remaining 60.9%. With a 99% degree of confidence, the F test results demonstrate that independent variables collectively impact the food security of the organic rice producers in the Sleman District.
The affecting of each independent variable on the dependent variable is partially examined using the t-test. Based on Table 3, there is a 90% degree of confidence that the head of the household’s age influences the food security of the households who grow organic rice. Given that the regression co-efficiency is negative, food security tends to decrease as age rises and vice versa. According to the analysis’s findings, farmers’ resilience in terms of their share of food spending is significantly harmed by the variable degree of farmer education. Wife’s education has a positive coefficient that shows that a wife’s education has an influence in the same direction as food access, resulting in low education levels, access to food is also low (
Hannavi, 2018).
According to the analysis’s findings, non-farming income has an influence on food security in terms of the proportion of expenditure that goes toward food. Given that the regression coefficient is negative and equal to 2,083, it follows that as non-farming income rises, food security will also fall. The study’s findings are consistent with earlier studies in that the non-farming income variable has a detrimental affecting on the food security of farmer households
(Pradnyadewi et al., 2021). In general, households with high income levels will use more income for the expenditure of the quality of the food needs with a fixed amount and use more income to meet the non-food expenditure needs. As a result, the income has a big impact on how much money a household spends on food. If income rises, more of it will be spent on non-food expenses, pushing the proportion of food expenses in households to an unsustainable level (
Mirzaei and Natcher, 2021).
A step used to determine a proportion of food spending is calculating the ratio between the amount of food expenditure and the sum of household expenditures. The proportion of household food spending would increase if the amount spent on meeting its food needs does, increasing the household’s food insecurity. As a result, the share of household food spending that goes toward food expenditure has an impact on food security
(Pradnyadewi et al., 2021).
Table 4 shows the findings of the examination of the elements influencing the level of energy sufficiency of organic rice farmer households in Sleman Regency in terms of food security. The level of energy sufficiency was the dependent variable in this study and up to six independent variables were also used, including the family head’s age, education level, number of family members, farm income, non-farming income and food distribution. The level of energy adequacy of organic rice farmers in Sleman Regency can be explained by independent variables to a degree of 49.6%, according to the R-Square coefficient of determination of 0.496, while the remaining 50% is explained by other variables that are not explained by the studied model.
The F-test results demonstrated that all independent variables simultaneously affect the dependent variables’ level of energy sufficiency. The number of family members, the age of the family head, farm revenue, non-farming opinions and household expenses are the independent factors.
According to Table 4, the age factors of the head of family have an effect on the food security of households of organic rice farmers in Sleman Regency when considered in terms of the level of energy adequacy. According to the regression coefficient, which has a positive value of 0.657, an increase in age will typically result in a 0.657-unit improvement in food security. The age of the family’s head of household influences food security based on the level of energy sufficiency.
The number of family members is another element that influences the food security of the households engaged in organic rice growing in Sleman Regency. According to the analysis’s findings, there is a 99% probability that the changing number of family members has an impact on food security. The monthly income, family size and family structure were important determinants for food security of household
(Yousaf et al., 2018).
The level of energy sufficiency has an impact on the food security of the households of the organic rice producers in Sleman Regency. According to the investigation, factors affecting food expenditures have a favorable impact on food security. Because the energy demands will be met equally if the food expenditure is large, it will have an impact on food security. These findings corroborate previously conducted studies related to climate change adaptation strategies (
Samuel and Sylvia, 2019).
Studies in Nigeria reveal that the factors influencing technical efficiency and food security in the study area are farming experience, education, age, cassava output, number of dependents, access to loans, access to extension workers, distance to agriculture and agricultural size. Therefore, it is necessary to improve technical efficiency through agricultural extension services and Agricultural Credit Schemes with low interest rates so that the food security can be achieved (
Ajayi and Olutumise, 2018). The best methods for enhancing food security include technical, health and safety-related and production-optimization-related
(Morshedi et al., 2017). Consequently, suggestions that can help to strengthen the synergy between food security and smallholder farmers’ productivity in South Africa (
Oluwatayo, 2019).
Our future food security depends on smallholder farmers and other chain members managing their environmental impact and economies well (
Nissen, 2018). With access to markets and extension services, conservation agriculture must embrace a value chain strategy to cash crops in order to significantly reduce food insecurity and poverty over the long run
(Mango et al., 2017). Participation in contemporary markets and food security are related. This study also demonstrates how the establishment of a new food supply chain system might boost smallholder farmers’ incomes by stabilizing prices and demand
(Toiba et al., 2020).
A potential solution for Malaysia’s food security is the rice farmers’ use of GFT Green fertilizer technology
(Adnan et al., 2017). However, there are still insufficient conditions for the increase in CSA (climate-smart agriculture) adoption to improve food security because other farmer factors, such as personal education, pond size, animal ownership and market challenges, have a significant impact on food security
(Hasan et al., 2018). Access to agricultural technology is difficult for those who are food insecure because of the tools and hand tools
(Mutea et al., 2020). Therefore, farmer-friendly agricultural innovation platforms support farmer households’ income and food security
(Mdemu et al., 2020).
The goal of an integrated farm business management pattern is to optimize each actor’s potential (resources) in order to enhance food production and generate value for individual farmers and fishermen as well as for groups of farmers and fishermen or the community. Additionally, the development of food security can be steered in a sustainable direction with an emphasis on technological advancement and innovation. To increase productivity, it is important to upgrade the crop farming system, post-harvest handling, food processing and distribution handling
(Wasino et al., 2017). Enhancing the possibility for diversification is intended to increase smallholder farmers’ access to food and their standard of living
(MacLaren et al., 2022). Therefore, it is necessary to improve agricultural practices such as diversification of crops and improvement of extension services. However, such options will require the right eco-friendly technology in an environment that is possible both locally and nationally
(Gwambene et al., 2023) by water management and conservation strategy well (
Hafif, 2016).
The ways in which household members negotiate and balance their preferences for resource allocation and as a result, the results of the household’s food security, might vary depending on the decision-making structures in place. Therefore, household decision-making procedures must be carefully considered in programs that aim to alleviate food insecurity and other socioeconomic difficulties in such circumstances
(Mohammed et al., 2022). Thus, stronger forms of participation significantly impact food security (
Beyuo and Anyidoho, 2022). The extension service, on the other hand, is a very involved and comprehensive supporter, playing a significant role in promoting sustainable glutinous rice production and assisting in maintaining local culture and food security
(Sattaka et al., 2017).