Impact of Orphan Crops Utilization on Food Security in South West, Nigeria

Abstract

Orphan crops, also known as neglected and underutilized crops, possess significant potential for improving household nutrition, agricultural resilience, and food security, yet they remain largely overlooked in agricultural development programmes in Nigeria. This study investigated the impact of orphan crop utilization on household food security among rural households in South-West Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 540 farming households from three purposively selected states (Oyo, Ogun, and Ondo). Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Foster–Greer–Thorbecke (FGT) food security index, t-test, and probit regression model. The results showed that the respondents had a mean age of 42 years, an average farming experience of 17 years, and an average farm size of 4.85 hectares. About 76% of the households consumed orphan crops, while 73.72% of the households that utilized orphan crops in their diets were food secure compared with only 30.23% of non-utilizing households. The t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in food security status between orphan crop utilizers and non-utilizers (t = -30.807, p < 0.01). Probit regression results indicated that orphan crop utilization had a positive and highly significant impact on household food security (β = 0.953, p < 0.01). Other significant determinants of food security included age, household size, farming years of experience, education level, and farm size. The study concludes that increased utilization of orphan crops significantly enhances household food security by improving dietary diversity and strengthening the resilience of rural farming households. It therefore recommends the promotion of orphan crop production and utilization through supportive government policies, improved access to quality planting materials, extension services, research, farmer training, and market development to enhance sustainable food security in Nigeria.