A participatory approach to assessing Malawi villagers' perception of their own food security

A range of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) visual tools were used in two Malawian villages to determine how the villagers perceived their food security problems and what solutions they sought. In both villages, 94% of households were considered food insecure by villagers, who based their assessm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology of food and nutrition 1999-01, Vol.38 (2), p.101-121
Main Authors: Ali, Manijeh, Delisle, Hélene F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Household food security
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Malawi
Medical sciences
Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement
participatory rural appraisal
qualitative methods
Tropical medicine
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Summary:A range of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) visual tools were used in two Malawian villages to determine how the villagers perceived their food security problems and what solutions they sought. In both villages, 94% of households were considered food insecure by villagers, who based their assessment on number and composition of meals, size of maize stores, and ownership of cattle in one village. Reported coping strategies were primarily connected with small trade (beer, firewood, vegetables). Means of improving soil fertility were seen as promising solutions. In this study, the PRA tools displayed the possibility of collecting location-specific and action-geared information on household food security in a short time. This approach, however, may need to be pursued longer to confirm its empowering effect.
ISSN:0367-0244
1543-5237
DOI:10.1080/03670244.1999.9991572