Tropentag 2023, September 20 - 22, Berlin, Germany "Competing pathways for equitable food systems transformation: trade-offs and synergies."

Capability approach to wellbeing analysis: A case study of NTFP producing households in Iseyin, Nigeria

Czech University of Life Sciences, Dept. of Economics and Development, Czech Republic

Abstract

Wellbeing has been recognised to go beyond income and consumption issues but also encompasses health, nutrition, security, education, freedom, environmental integrity, social relations and affiliations. According to Amartya Sen theory, capability approach recognises wellbeing as the ‘ability to be’ or ‘ability to attain some level of achievement’ by the individual/household being considered.
This study was, therefore, carried out to examine the wellbeing status of non-timber forest product (NTFP) producing household in Iseyin LGA, Oyo State using capability approach. Primary data was collected through questionnaire administered to 120 respondents selected using multistage sampling technique. The NTFP households studied were involved in sheabutter processing, snailery, apiary and cane rat farming. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, fuzzy set analysis and logistic regression. Fuzzy set theory was employed in measuring the well being indices using various dimensions while logistic regression was used in isolating the drivers of wellbeing in the households. The capability approach revealed that sheabutter producing households has the highest (0.101) capability wellbeing while apiary households’ were the lowest (0.063). Age, household size and educational level have all been found to directly impact the wellbeing of the households such that, as they increase, so does their respective capability wellbeing increases. As regards the dimension used, assets has been revealed to have the highest (0.0955) capability wellbeing while access to natural resources was the lowest(0.0021). The isolated factors that drive capability wellbeing were identified as age group greater than 60 years, education as well as cooperative membership. Based on the findings, government should formulate policies that will encourage farmers to improve on their educational qualifications in order to attain higher wellbeing.

Keywords: Forest resources, livelihood, Nigeria, sustainable use

Contact Address: Kazeem Akanni Jimoh, Czech University of Life Sciences, Dept. of Economics and Development, Kamýcká 129, 165 00  Prague 6, Czech Republic, e-mail: jimohftz.czu.cz