Food Security Status and Its Determinants among Inland Fishing and Non-Fishing Rural Households in Sekhukhune District Municipality, Limpopo Province

Inland fisheries are considered to have the potential to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition globally. However, its contribution has been unrecognized. The study aimed to analyze the determinants of food security status among households involved and uninvolved in inland fisheries in Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM), Limpopo Province.

A total of 115 households were interviewed following snowball, purposive, and simple random sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), and Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) were used as data analysis tools. These tools were used to obtain the socio-economic characteristics of households and the determinants of food security status.

A total of 72 households were identified as fishers, while 43 households were not fishers. Moreover, the results confirm that there was no significant difference in the food security status of households involved in inland fisheries and those who were not involved; however, most of them were mildly food insecure. Additionally, total household income, marital status, level of education and  type of agricultural activity determine the food security status of households involved in inland fisheries and those who were not involved.

The integration of inland fisheries and other sectors is necessary to address household food insecurity related issues.