Abstract
The main purpose of the study was to determine the effect of integrated farming system
(IFS) in changing household food security of the farmers in a selected haor area of
Bangladesh. Data were collected from a random sample of 173 farmers, out of a population
of 462 in one selected village of Mohanganj upazilla under Netrokona district. The data
were collected through personal interviewing by using a pre-tested structured interview
schedule during July to October 2015. Appropriate scales were developed and used to
measure the concerned variables. The thirteen selected characteristics of the farmers were
considered as the independent variables while change in household food security was the
dependent variable. The change in household food security of farmers was measured based
on change in calorie intake of the farmers after joining in IFS practices. The average per
capita per day intake of food items of all the households was 734.63 g after introduction of
IFS practices compared to 558.70 g before introduction of IFS practices. The highest
proportion (86.13 percent) of the farmers were moderately food secure (1806-2121
kcal/person/day), 5.80 percent highly food secure (above 2122 kcal/person/day) while
8.10 percent were food insecure (less than 1805 kcal/person/day). Among the
characteristics of the respondents, age, level of education, household farm size, household
annual income, household size, knowledge on IFS, training exposure, decision making
ability and communication exposure had significant positive relationships with their
change in household food security, while household assets, number of IFS components
followed by the household and organizational participation had negative relationships with
their change in household food security. Among these, age, level of education, knowledge
on IFS and training exposure had significant contribution with their change in household
food security. Sixty one percent of the total variation in change in houschold food security
was explained by these four predictors. The IFS farmers who were younger in age, had
more education, long duration training and more knowledge on IFS were found to have
positive change in household food security. Path analysis revealed that age, level of
education, knowledge on IFS and training exposure had positive and direct effects to the
change in household food security. Flash flood, lack of proper supervision of extension
worker, lack of cultivable land, higher prices of agricultural inputs, lack of training on IFS
and marketing problem of products were identified as the major problems faced by the
farmers in integrated farming system practices.