Tackling food insecurity using respondents’ views towards national food security: A call for stakeholders’ action in Teaching, research, and practice.

Abstract

A nation that cannot feed her teaming population cannot boost of complete success and development in our present time and future. The issue of food security has been critical in many parts of the world including Nigeria and her communities. Food security is the ability for individuals to obtain sufficient/adequate food on a day-to-day basis. The purpose of this study was to bring to light the unavoidable role of all stakeholders in teaching, research, and practice towards sustaining national food security as a public health concern. Quantitative and qualitative research designs were employed through the use of researcher administered questionnaire and field observations to elicit responses from 120 respondents. Data generated were coded and analyzed using Scientific Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version-20 and results are presented descriptively in tables, simple percentages, and graphs. The study findings and results show that possible causes of food insecurity included; flood 10 (8.3%), poor planning 13 (10.8%), poor government policies 13 (10.8%), poor agricultural programs 20 (16.7%), poor attitude to agricultural practice 17 (14.2%), climate change/weather fluctuations 14 (11.7%), seasonal variations of farm produce 15 (12.5%), and poor storage system for farm produce 18 (15.0%). Based on these findings, the following are recommended: improvement in agricultural programs, surveillance/preparedness, positive government policies/planning, encourage individuals towards farming, providing proper storage systems for farm produce to make all kinds of farm produce available at all seasons, and government/NGOs investing in farmers as this will encourage/motivate farmers and bring out their technological skills toward effective farming.