TITLE:
The Impact of Nonfarm Activities on Rural Farm Household Income and Food Security in the Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana
AUTHORS:
Daniel Osarfo, Bernardin Senadza, Edward Nketiah-Amponsah
KEYWORDS:
Non-Farm Activities, Food Security, Household Income, Rural Farm Households, Propensity Score Matching, Upper East Region, Upper West Region, Ghana
JOURNAL NAME:
Theoretical Economics Letters,
Vol.6 No.3,
June
3,
2016
ABSTRACT: Research shows that participation in rural non-farm activities exerts a
pronounced impact on agriculture, household farm decisions, rural development,
income and welfare as well as household food security. This paper investigates
the impact of participation in non-farm activities on household income and food
security among farm households in the Upper East and Upper West Regions of
Ghana. Using the Recommended Daily Calorie Required (RDCR) approach, the study
finds that 45 percent of households in the two regions are food insecure.
Propensity score matching (PSM) results indicate that participation in non-farm
work has significant positive effect on household income and food security
status. The policy implications of the findings are discussed.