“The Season of Famine” as a Challenge to Food Security in Northern Rural Togo: Addressing Seasonal Hunger through Household Coping Strategies

Improved understanding about food security has led researchers to develop increasingly holistic approaches to studying the effects of household food insecurity. This research, based in the remote prefecture of Dankpen in Togo, West Africa, presents insights into the lives of rural subsistence farmers, the role of population pressures, and the effectiveness of both international and national development work. Originally I wanted to identify positive deviants who were food secure living in the Dankpen prefecture. I conducted group interviews in five villages surrounding the prefectural capital, Guérin-Kouka in December 2009 and January 2010. There was combined total of 61 men and 47 women who participated in the group interviews. Results from this research demonstrate the need for community-based solutions to food insecurity, especially in rural settings in developing countries. Household coping techniques, such as reduced meal intake, are discussed in light of how families manage to get through the “season of famine,” which occurs every July and August throughout the Dankpen prefecture. Recommendations, such as teaching food preservation techniques, to improve food security for families in northern rural Togo have been included as well as further research opportunities and broader development applications.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Montana

Year

2010

Author dc:creator

• Gorsegner, Jennifer

• household coping strategies
• positive deviance
• Togo
• West Africa
• food security
• seasonal hunger

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/15

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-1034