Influence of Land Tenure on Food Security Status among Smallholder Farmers in Kilifi South Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Food security is critical to the economic, social, religious, political and cultural development Worldwide. It plays a great role in economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development in Kenya. A study was carried out in Kilifi South Sub-county in the coastal areas of Kenya, one of the areas where food insecurity incidences are prevalent. The study assessed the effect of land constraints on food security status among smallholder farming communities through interview schedules. Non experimental design using descriptive survey was adopted for the study. Possession of title deed, type of land ownership and land size data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. The results indicated that 81% of all the farmers were food insecure. Those who possessed title deeds were 12% food secure while those who did not have title deeds were 7% food secure. The farmers who had individual type of land ownership were 9% food secure while the ones who owned land as a family were 5% food secure and those who rented land were 5% food secure. Farmers with 5-10 acres of land were 14% food secure while those with 3-5 acres were 3% food secure and those with 1-2 acres were 2% food secure. There was a significant (P= .05) positive relationship between food security and possession of title deed, type of land ownership and land size. This implies that possession of title deed, type of land ownership and land size are some of the most significant issues affecting food security in Kilifi South Sub-county. To further enhance the understanding and improvement of food security status in Kilifi South Sub-county, possession of title deed is necessary. This will help households make long-term investments in new agricultural innovations hence improved food production and food security levels.