Assessing Food Security Status Among Coastal Households in Sambuli Village in Southeast Sulawesi

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the food security status of households in Sambuli Village, Nambo Subdistrict, Kendari Municipality. Employing proportionate stratified random sampling, the research sampled 59 households from a total population of 145. The study utilized structured questionnaire-based interviews for data collection, and analyzed the data using the USDA Food Security Survey Module. The results indicate a pronounced disparity in food security, with only 20.3% of households being "food secure" and a substantial majority of 79.7% experiencing food insecurity. Higher levels of food insecurity might be attributed to limited income, low educational attainment, lack of agricultural land, reliance on fishing as the primary livelihood, market fluctuations, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This significant incidence of food insecurity underscores the necessity for targeted interventions and policy initiatives aimed at enhancing economic resilience, diversifying income sources, ensuring access to nutritious food, and establishing robust support systems to mitigate future pandemic-related impacts in vulnerable coastal communities.