ROLE OF WOMEN IN HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN ODIGBO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Food security remains a critical challenge in many developing Countries, particularly in rural communities where women play a significant role in agricultural production and household nutrition. This study analyzed the role of women in household food security in Odigbo Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedures was used to select 140 respondents, data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages and mean, food security index based on daily per calorie requirement, Chi-square and logistic regression analysis. Results indicated that respondents had a mean age of 48.6 years with a mean household size of 5 persons. Most of the respondents were literate (76%) and had a mean farming experience of 12.1 years. The result further revealed that 74.3% of farmers were married and had farming (77.2%) as their primary occupation, and members of cooperative society (67%). Specific activities performed by women farmers were storage (71.4%) and Marketing (82.9).Food security result indicates that about 80% of women household were food secure. The logistic regression results identified marital status, years spent in school, farming experience, and total income positively influence food security while age of women, household size, and daily consumption cost negatively influenced food security. Relationship between women role and food security shows that handcraft, teaching, nursing and laundry were all significant. Among the coping strategies adopted by women farmers against food insecurity include reducing meal portions, skipping meals, and seeking alternative income sources to manage food shortages. The study concludes that women play a crucial role in ensuring household food security despite the challenges they face. It recommends training and resources should be provided specifically for younger farmers to help them develop skills and knowledge. Also, there should be support programme for married farmers to increase farmers’ productivity.