THE ROLE OF LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES ON RURAL HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY: THE CASE OF BALAKA DISTRICT

Abstract

Rural households in Malawi have various livelihood strategies which have long term effects on household food security. This study explains the role of livelihood strategies on rural household food security in Malawi. The study further searches for reasons for the disparities in household food security in rural areas. Based on household level data collected from 471 households randomly selected, several key informant interviews and four FGDs conducted in each of the four village in Bazale and Phalula EPAs in Balaka District, the extent of household food security and their livelihood strategies were scrutinized. Livelihood strategies for households in Bazale and Phalula EPAs were identified using qualitative and quantitative methods both of which provide similar results. The study found that food insecurity is a severe problem in the two EPAs with 86% of rural households being food insecure. The study revealed various livelihood strategies of the rural households, which were found to be composite of different activities and choices to enable them to make a living. The principal sources of livelihoods included both agricultural and non-agricultural livelihood options. These include crop production, livestock production, charcoal production, migration and remittances and forest-based livelihood strategies. In conclusion, the study reveals that agricultural livelihood options are unsustainable for rural households where climatic conditions are unfavorable.