Contribution of Non-Timber Forest Products to Household Food Security among Rural Women in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the contribution of non-timber forest products gathering on household food security among rural women in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria.  Simple random sampling technique was adopted in the selection of respondents for the study, while structured interview schedule was used to obtained relevant information from the sample of one hundred and thirty (130) rural women in the area. Data collected were analyzed with appropriate statistical tools. The respondents sampled are aware of availability of different NTFPs in the study area and they are involved in NTFPs gathering at different levels. The NTFPs gathered by rural women include: vegetables, mango fruit/orange fruits, firewood and herbs.Result further revealed that the rural women derived a variety of benefits from gathering of NTFPs and it has helped to improve their household food security level of the respondents in the study area. Majority (76.1%) of the respondents were food secure. The study found significant relationship between some selected socio-economic characteristic variables such as education (X² = 6.240, p< 0.05), household size (X² = 10.296, p<0.05), Marital status (X²= 5.126, p< 0.05), income (X²= 7.088, p< 0.05) and level of involvement of respondents in gathering of NTFPs. Also positive and significant relationship exists between level of household food security of the respondents and their level of involvement in gathering of NTFPs. The study therefore recommended that, there is need to encourage rural women in the gathering of NTFPs as part of the means of livelihood in the rural area of Nigeria due to varieties of benefits attached to it, which could assist to curb the menace of food insecurity in the Nigeria.

Keywords: Contribution, Non-Timber, Rural , Women, Forest, Food Security, Nigeria