Impact of fall armyworm invasion on household income and food security in Zimbabwe

The impact of fall armyworm invasion on smallholder welfare is estimated. Farm households affected by fall armyworm are 12% more likely to experience hunger. Sustainable and safe fall armyworm control strategies are required. AbstractSince 2016, the invasive fall armyworm (FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda, has been one of the most rapidly spreading and highly devastating maize pests across Africa and Asia. Although several studies have estimated the effect of FAW on maize yield, little is known about its impact on broader welfare outcomes. Using data from smallholder maize ‐growing households in Zimbabwe, this article aimed to measure the impact of FAW on household income and food security, as well as the extent to which the adoption of a control strategy can help mitigate the negative welfare impacts due to FAW invasion. Regression results showed that households af fected by FAW were 12% more likely to experience hunger, as measured by the household hunger scale. A disaggregated analysis indicated that minor FAW infestation did not exert significant impacts on incomes and food security, but severe level of infestation reduced per capita household income by 44% and increased a household's likelihood of experiencing hunger by 17%. We also found that compared to unaffected households, the FAW‐affected households who failed to implement a control strategy had a 50% lower per capita household income, while their counterparts that implemented a control strat egy did not suffer a sig...
Source: Food and Energy Security - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL RESEARCH Source Type: research