Measuring Household Food Security in Rural of Communities of Bamyan, Afghanistan: An Application of the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM)
Ali Reza Behzad
*
Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Afghanistan National Agricultural Sciences and Technology University (ANASTU), Kandahar, Afghanistan and Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, Afghan International Islamic University (AIIU), Kabul, Afghanistan.
Mohammad Ismail Hashime
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, Afghan International Islamic University (AIIU), Kabul, Afghanistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Food insecurity is global challenge which developing countries are more affected. Food insecurity remains a significant and complicated issue in Afghanistan's rural areas, where years of economic instability, inadequate infrastructure, and international limitations have disrupted livelihoods and obstructed access to basic resources. The study took place in three districts of Bamyan Province including Bamyan Center, Yakawlang 1, and Panjab. A cross-sectional household survey was carried out between [April and May/2025], involving a total of 384 households. Multistage random sampling was used to select the sample. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26. The study aims to measure the prevalence and severity of household food security in rural area of Bamyan. Research findings indicated that food insecurity is prevalent throughout the study region, with most households experiencing moderate to severe levels of food insecurity with the mean of (HFSSM=14.22) which present very low food security. The result of Household Food Security Survey Module revealed that 11.72% of households are food secure, while the other 88.28% of the households are in three other categories which food insecure (very low) includes 33.59 percent. The research findings indicated that in the last 12 months three regions of the study area experienced very low food security. The research found that food insecurity in rural Bamyan is not just due to insufficient food supply but also stems from restricted access, low dietary variety, and structural challenges in livelihoods. Future investigation is recommended to use longitudinal designs to observe seasonal changes in food access and availability, along with mixed-method approaches to explore the cultural, behavioral, and social aspects of food security.
Keywords: Afghanistan, food security, HFSSM, rural communities, severity and prevalence