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