The issue of food security is still a critical problem for international development. There is still no single solution for this global concern therefore research must be able to narrow down the determinants in order to mitigate the harmful effects such as child malnutrition. This thesis will examine the causes and effect of household food security in the case of Zimbabwe. The first essay examines the determinants of food security, focusing on economic wealth and social networks. It was found that employment and asset ownership have a larger effect on decreasing the probability of household food security. The second essay examines the effect of food security and other determinants such as public infrastructure and household factors on child nutrition. It was found that household food security and dwelling type, as a proxy for income, had the most significant impacts on decreasing the probability of child malnutrition. These essays together show that improving income plays a central role in order to decrease household food insecurity and child malnutrition in Zimbabwe.
Food Security, Child Nutrition, Zimbabwe
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign