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Tropentag 2022, September 14 - 16, Prague, Germany

"Can agroecological farming feed the world? Farmers' and academia's views."


Assessing the level and determinants of food consumption among young African agripreneurs

Dolapo Adeyanju1, John Mburu1, Djana Mignouna2, Gituro Wanaina1, John Akomolafe3

1University of Nairobi, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Kenya
2International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kenya
3Afe Babalola University, Economics, Nigeria


Abstract


Despite several food security interventions being implemented over the last decades, food insecurity remains a serious issue among individuals and households in Africa. Relatively, the prevalence of food insecurity is much higher in East and West Africa, compared to other regions in the Continent. This study assessed the level and determinants of food consumption among young agripreneurs in the East and West regions, taking evidence from Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to sample 1435 young agripreneurs across the three countries. Individual food consumption was assessed following a 7-day recall method. The level of food consumption was assessed using the Food Consumption Score (FCS) proposed by the United Nation World Food Programme. Also, the determinants of food consumption were identified using a logistic regression model. Results showed that food consumption was high among the agripreneurs, with an acceptable average FCS. Among other factors, food consumption was determined by access to extension services, credit, participation in the Empowering Novel Agri-Business Led Employment (ENABLE) Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) business incubation programme, having employees, access to market information, asset ownership, and land size. Based on these findings, efforts to improve food consumption and subsequently, the food security status of young agripreneurs should support access to extension services, market information, and access to land. Also, more investments should be directed towards developing need-based agribusiness incubation programmes such as the ENABLE TAAT and other existing programmes should be scaled beyond the normal time-bound period to continuously support young agripreneurs.


Keywords: Africa, determinants, food consumption, food security, young agripreneur


Contact Address: Dolapo Adeyanju, University of Nairobi, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Kangemi, 29053-00625 Nairobi, Kenya, e-mail: dolapo.adeyanju@students.uonbi.ac.ke


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