Factors Influencing the Household Food Security of Forest Villagers in Eastern Sub-Himalayan India

Food insecurity is a serious concern in many developing countries, especially for forest communities, who grapple with unique challenges stemming from their dependence on natural resources and limited access to vital livelihood capitals. Despite extensive research on food security, there still remains a gap in understanding the distinct factors affecting food security within forest communities in conservation zones of the fragile Eastern Himalayas. This study seeks to fill this gap by examining the factors determining household food security among forest villagers in the Buxa Tiger Reserve, located in the eastern sub-Himalayan region of India, which is characterized by significant environmental and socio-economic challenges. Households were evaluated using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) and grouped into four levels: food secure, mildly food insecure, moderately food insecure, and severely food insecure. The partial proportional odds model and marginal effects were estimated to analyze the effects of various explanatory variables on the severity of food insecurity. The results revealed that 28% of households were food secure, whereas 72% experienced varying degrees of food insecurity, with a majority falling into the mildly (37.33%) and severely (21.67%) food insecure categories. Key factors influencing food security include the age and education of the household head, landholding size, farming experience, dependency ratio, distance to the bank, and livestock loss due to leopard predation. Additionally, non-farm income, social transfers, and remittances significantly contribute to improved food security. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance educational opportunities, diversify income sources, and strengthen social safety nets to effectively address food insecurity among forest communities.