Stories of Vulnerabilities: Life Story Perspectives on Food Security, Risk Adaptation and Resilience in Rural Tanzanian Communities

This study investigates food security in rural Tanzanian communities through the lens of vulnerability. Using a mixed-methods approach combining life stories, survey data, and key informant interviews, it explores the interplay among risk management, resilience, and food security, focusing on vulnerable groups. Survey data provide an overview of food security conditions, while life stories capture participants' life trajectories. Findings show substantial challenges in food availability and access, driven by environmental, natural, and social shocks. Vulnerable groups face more risks, rely more on negative coping mechanisms, and are less likely to adopt adaptive strategies. Life story graphs reveal non-linear food security trajectories shaped by multiple shocks. Resilience plays a pivotal role in recovery, shaping whether food security improves, declines or remains stable amid cycles of shocks, coping strategies, and outcomes. The analysis highlights a strong connection between food security and life satisfaction, showing how difficulties meeting basic needs affect overall well-being.