Analysis of Household Food Security among Farmers in Food-Insecure Areas of Lombok Island West Nusa Tenggara Province

Abstract

This study aims to: (1) analyze the food security conditions of farming households in food-insecure areas of Lombok Island; (2) identify and analyze the factors influencing household food security in these areas; (3) evaluate existing food security policies and/or programs; and (4) formulate policy and/or program recommendations to strengthen food security among farming households. A descriptive research method was employed, involving 44 respondents selected through Slovin’s formula and proportional sampling across four sub-districts in four regencies categorized as “food-vulnerable” areas. Four analytical approaches were used: the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) for assessing household conditions; factor analysis to determine key influencing factors; the Discrepancy Evaluation Model (DEM) to evaluate policy impacts; and policy analysis to formulate recommendations. The findings show that: (1) 51.35% of respondents fell into the "moderate" food insecurity category and 48.65% into the "severe" category based on FIES; (2) the main factors affecting household food security were geographic and physical access (27.16% of variance), food availability and social support (20.33%), and consumption patterns and purchasing power (18.64%); (3) the effectiveness of current food security policies and/or programs was partial, with an average effectiveness score of 43.46%, indicating the need for improvements in relevance, distribution, and long-term strategy; and (4) policy and program recommendations are grouped into two categories: those to be maintained and strengthened—namely, beneficiary data updating, seed and fertilizer subsidies, food price stabilization, targeted food aid distribution, nutrition education, and village-level food storage—and those to be revised and further developed, including food diversification, farmer participation in planning, infrastructure development, village food cooperatives, cash-for-work schemes, and food diversification campaigns. The study underscores the need for integrated, community-based, and context-specific interventions to achieve sustainable food security in rural farming households of Lombok Island.