Household and Community Level Practices towards Attaining Food Security in Long District, Luang Namtha, Lao PDR

Abstract

This study, which determined the farming practices of the households and the communities in attaining food security, was conducted in six villages in Long District, Luang Namtha, Lao PDR. The issue of food security is very relevant among the local people in the villages who have been affected by changes in government policies on shifting cultivation and poppy cultivation. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data obtained from 122 farmers as survey respondents and 30 farmers (five farmers per village) as focus group discussion (FGD) participants. Correlation analysis was done to determine the relationship between socio-demographic and economic characteristics of respondents and their household and community practices on food security, and household and community level farming practices and food security. Key informant interviews were conducted with six village and two district officials. To attain food security at the household level, the respondents plant upland rice using native varieties and use manual tools, raise swine and poultry in the traditional way, decline taking out loans, and practice equal sharing of farming and household tasks between husband and wife. At the community level, they availed of food distribution and livelihood programs in the past, both of which are scarce at present. Correlation analysis shows that household level farming practices on food security are positively related to educational attainment, total household income and length of stay in the area. Farmers who have higher educational attainment, higher total household income, and have stayed longer in the village resort to household level practices such as planting a variety of wetland rice, use higher seeding rate, raise livestock, and avail of credit. Community level practices are likewise positively correlated with the respondents’ age, length of stay in the area, and household size. Older farmers who have bigger household size and have stayed longer in the village access food and livelihood programs for food security.