Authors
ABSTRACT
This study used a value of food consumption approach to estimate the status of food insecurity among eight highland sites in Northern Thailand and reaffirm the food insecurity status among the highlanders. The results show that food insecurity incidence in these locations reached as high as 30-40% of total households. This was particularly observed among those with larger-sized households and low assets, lacking irrigation water, or having limited income sources. Logistic regression analysis found that the key determinants of food security are income, availability of irrigation water, size of households, and neighbors’ quality of life. Strategies to cope with food security include growing more vegetables, raising more farm animals, and seeking more off-farm employment. Although the value of food consumption method used in this study has some methodological weaknesses, it could provide a fast, low cost, reasonable, and preliminary method of assessment of micro-level food insecurity so as to bring timely attention to policymakers to address the problem.
