This research activity focuses on the analysis of cash and food crop production in crop-livestock systems, the levels of wealth generated and food security. Information on nutritional status of children was collected and analyzed. This information now will be correlated to data on economic and wealth status of the households. A census on livestock (sheep and cattle) has been updated and will be correlated to nutrition information, along with other relevant variables, such as age and composition of the family, herd composition and sheep production. It has been found that sheep is the domain of women and earnings are invested in food and household purchases.
Markowitz and Valdivia presented a paper on food security and nutrition in San José Llanga. Results from the production and income survey and the findings from the nutrition study were presented. In on-going research Valdivia is analyzing the relationship between consumption smoothing and sheep remittances and life cycle, and has found all this variables to be significant in a multiple regression study. This research is on-going. Data from the nutritional study was used to created three variables, measuring stuntness, underweight and wasted. The sample that we had of 32 children showed 48% were stunted (we were using Bolivian standards), 41% are underweight, and 7 percent are wasted.
Data analysis of the nutritional study in San José Llanga has been correlated with the sheep census of the same year. Correlation among all variables is showing a positive relationship between iron intake and sheep, calcium and milk sales, sheep numbers and weekly food expenses, expenses and iron intake, iron and the number of children in the family, and a negative correlation between sheep and education. The latter may be related to the fact that the younger population has more education and at the same time are at the initial stages of their life cycle as independent families.
Limited depended regressions looked at the relationship between stuntness, and underweight as dependent variables, and a series of socioeconomic characteristics of the household. This research is on going in the U.S. and funding will be sought for this research. Premature closing of the Bolivia program has affected this and research that looked at strategies through time (climatic changes). This research provides information to develop a research proposal that seeks to understand the role of livestock in consumption smoothing, food security, using anthropometric measures to determine the impact of idiosyncratic shocks on household and individual members welfare. We hypothesize that small stock, domain of women in the Altiplano, contribute to consumption smoothing and secure food. Valdivia continues to pursue this research. A paper on consumption smoothing and sheep will be completed this year and used as a basis, along with the San José nutrition study, to develop a research proposal, possibly in collaboration with Markowtiz.
[Back to Annual Report 96 Contents]
[Continue to Bolivia Activity 5]
970331