Prevalence and Determinants of Household Food Security in Resettled Areas in Sekong Province, Lao PDR

Abstract

Relocating isolated villagers from upland to lowland areas is an important rural development strategy to eradicate poverty and food insecurity in Laos. However, previous research found several social and livelihood problems after resettlement, including poverty and food insecurity. This study investigated the level of food insecurity after resettlement and identified factors influencing household food security. We surveyed 60 households through a structured questionnaire in Tok Ong Keo village of Lamam district, Sekong province. The U.S. Food Security/Hunger Survey Module was employed to measure the severity of food insecurity. In addition, we applied a logistic regression model to examine the factors influencing food security. The results show that about 55% of the sample households experienced rice shortages for about 1–3 months and 61.7% were food insecure with moderate hunger. The education level of household heads, household size, and livestock ownership all had statistically significant influences on food security.