Food Security Strategies of Farmers in a Disaster-prone Southwestern Coastal Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

Food security in coastal Bangladesh is increasingly threatened by climate change, making effective household food security strategies a critical policy concern. This study assessed the extent to which farmers in a disaster-prone coastal area of Bangladesh practised food security strategies, examined the relationships between those practices and selected socioeconomic and psychological characteristics, and identified the principal constraints affecting their implementation. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational survey was conducted from January to June 2020 in Sarankhola Upazila, Bagerhat District. From a population of approximately 1,200 farm households across five villages, 120 farmers were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected through a pre-tested interview schedule, supplemented by field observations and focus group discussions. The practice of food security strategies was measured using a 16-item scale (score range: 16–64), while problem confrontation was assessed using a 14-item scale. Pearson's product–moment correlation coefficient was used to test relationships at the 5% significance level. Food security strategy scores ranged from 22 to 55, with a mean of 41.12 (SD = 6.36). Most respondents (40.00%) demonstrated a medium level of practice, followed by high (36.67%) and low (23.33%) levels. Age (r = .211*), education (r = .260**), number of earning family members (r = .227*), farming experience (r = .201*), and communication exposure (r = .206*) were positively and significantly associated with the practice of food security strategies, whereas family size, farm size, annual income, organisational participation, and fatalism were not significantly associated. The principal constraints were the limited availability of stress-tolerant crop varieties, rising food prices, and crop damage caused by cyclones and tidal surges. Strengthening agricultural extension, improving access to climate-resilient crop varieties, and stabilising food prices may enhance household food security in disaster-prone coastal regions.