Sustainable Interventions for Improving Food Security among Tribal Communities in Bodoland Territorial Region

Abstract

The study examined the determinants influencing food security status among the tribals of Bodoland Territorial Region, Assam. The study randomly selected 400 tribal respondents, 200 Bodo and 200 Rabha respondents. Data was collected through personal interviews and analysed using descriptive statistics, food security index and multiple linear regression. Results of the food security index depicted that about Bodo respondents (19.50%) were food secure, while (80.50%) were food insecure. Similarly, only (18.00%) of the Rabha respondents were food secure, but the remaining (82.00%) of Rabha respondents were food insecure. Further, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that employed members in the respondent's household, annual income, access to credit, and access to the Public Distribution System had a positive relationship with the food security status of Bodo respondents. However, it was found that the age of household head, family size, loss of cultivable land, indebtedness, and food grain used for liquor preparation negatively affected the food security status of the Bodo respondents. In the case of Rabha respondents, factors like employed members in the respondents' household, annual income and operational landholding positively impacted on the food security status of the respondents. In contrast, the age of the household head and family size were negatively significant to the food security status of Rabha respondents. The research suggested that nutritional security can be improved by improving family income. So, the government should emphasise non-farm income-generating activities at a household level or through SHGs and strengthen the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) activities in BTR. Crops like millets may be introduced after sali paddy harvesting. The government should make policies for increasing crop productivity using modern agricultural production techniques and easy access to credit. The government also increased the number of beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System by changing the criteria.