Abstract:

Household food security is defined as the access by the household to sufficient food to
provide all members with good health and an active life. It should also cater for the
members’ confidence that adequate food will be available at all times. The study was
earned out to assess the contribution of livestock to food security in Kihuura Sub County,
Kyenjojo district. The specific objectives of the study were to: document the roles of
livestock in enhancing household food security and incomes in Kihuura sub-county,
study the accessibility to adequate food by members of the different households in
Kihuura sub-county and document household coping mechanisms during times of food
scarcity in Kihuura sub-county. There were three methods used for data collection
namely; face-to-face interviews using a standard questionnaire, focused group discussion
following a checklist and observation. Data analysis was done using SPSS where
descriptive statistics generated as per the research objectives were analyzed using cross
tabulations and means where applicable. In Kihuura Sub County, thirty four percent
(34.1%) households kept livestock for food and twenty three percent (22.7%) households
kept livestock for income. The majority (93.3%) households had three meals per day and
twenty and a half percent (20.6%) households got their food from sale of livestock during
source of food but also as a source of income which is used to purchase food in times of
scarcity. The study recommends households in rural areas to be encouraged to frequently
include livestock products on their menu to integrate livestock in their farming systems.

times of food scarcity. Livestock contributes to household food security directly as a