Factores determinantes para a segurança alimentar e nutricional dos agregados familiares da cidade de Maputo

Abstract

Food insecurity is a global concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and Mozambique is no exception. This issue remains one of the main challenges for public policies, in a context where the number of people experiencing food insecurity has gradually increased. This study aims to assess the main socioeconomic and demographic factors that influence the food and nutritional security of households in Maputo City. The analysis is based on data from the 2022 Post-Harvest Survey, conducted by SETSAN, covering a sample of 617 households. Food security was measured using the Food Consumption Score (FCS) indicator and the Reduced Coping Strategies Index (rCSI). For the statistical analysis, the Probit regression model was used due to the dichotomous nature of the dependent variable (food security). The results indicate that 62% of households were food secure. Four variables were statistically significant with food security: gender of the household head, literacy level of the household head, employment in the formal sector and occurrence of economic shocks. The marginal effects suggest that the probability of a household being food secure increases, on average, by 8.1% when the household is headed by a man, the probability of being food secure increases by 16.08% when the household head has some level of literacy. The probability of the household being food secure increases by an average of 39.16% if it has a job in the formal sector. On the other hand, this probability decreases by 7.11% as the household suffers a shock related to a reduction in income. To increase the probability of food security in households, it is recommended to invest more in education and entrepreneurship training for household heads, especially women, promoting their economic empowerment(TRADUÇÃO NOSSA)