Determinants of Household Food Security in Northern Province, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The study focused on determining the key factors influencing food security in Sri Lanka's Northern Province. It employed a multi-stage sampling method involving 93 Grama Niladhari (GN) divisions selected through stratified random sampling. Subsequently, 909 households were randomly chosen for data collection between November 2021 and February 2022. A meticulously designed questionnaire was utilized to gather information from households in the study region. Various analytical methods were employed, such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, Lin-log, and Tobit models. The Lin-log model findings highlighted that the growth in food expenditure was comparatively lower than the increase in total Expenditure. Additionally, the food security index revealed that only about one-third of households experienced high food security in the area. The Tobit regression model results indicated that factors like age, family size, total income, gender, and place of residence had a negative impact on the food security index. Conversely, the level of savings demonstrated a positive correlation with the food security index. These findings shed light on the complex interplay of socio-economic factors affecting regional food security.