Author
Adviser
Food and nutrition insecurity is a prevalent problem in the Philippines. It is primarily affected by household dietary diversity which is influenced by factors notably household characteristics, market access, and agricultural production. There are limited studies on how household dietary diversity is related to agricultural production. This study was thus conducted to determine the influence of agricultural production diversity to dietary diversity among smallholder farming households in selected Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Area (GIDA) and non-GIDA barangays. A total of 142 smallholder farming households were employed in the study. Data collection was done through household survey using developed interview schedule that included the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HFDS) of FAO (2010), and the adopted agricultural production diversity questionnaire (FAO, 2012). Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed higher proportion of smallholder farming household in GIDA than in non-GIDA area. Cereals and cereal products were the most produced and consumed food group. Flesh meat and other fruits were the next most produced commodity, while spices, condiments, and beverages and oils and fats were the other most consumed food groups. Mean HDDS was observed to be higher in GIDA than in non-GIDA. There was also significant positive correlation of HDDS with household head age (r=0.1574035; p=0.04546), total household income (r=1.378; p=0.006), distance of land for growing crops to nearest paved road (r=0.1828; p=0.03388) and market (r=0.1888; p=0.02891), area size of agricultural land (r=0.1719; p=0.03938), growing temporary crops (r=0.2838; p=0.0006) and rearing livestock (r=0.4772; p=1.55-10), number of food group produced (r= 0.2303; p= 0.0034), number of temporary crop types (r=0.9620; p=0.003), and permanent crop produce count (r= 0.3344; p= 0.0002). Extending the study to more non-GIDA and GIDA barangays to establish relationship between factors affecting agricultural production diversity to HDDS and HDDS to food and nutrition security status is recommended.