Global Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Factors Affecting Food Security of Rural Farming Households Left Behind in Northern Ghana

John Agyei

Internal migration has been recognised as important household livelihood strategy in the migration discourse. It helps to insure migrant households against risks as conceived by New Economics of Labour Migration Model. In view of this, some household heads embark on internal migration for livelihood purposes in their bid to support their households. They therefore, maintain links with their households left behind. This paper looks at this migratory pattern and its effects on household food security in the place of origin. The study employed questionnaire to collect primary data from 300 households selected through multi-stage sampling technique. The findings show that the factors which are significant for achieving household food security include ability to raise income (i.e. remittances); own farm production as well as access to farmland. It advocates economic empowerment of rural farming households to enable them continue to cater for their food needs and thereby build their resilience against shocks.