FOOD SECURITY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES: A STUDY OF LOCAL PERSPECTIVES IN KODAGU DISTRICT

This study attempted to examine the primary challenges to food security exclusively in the Kodagu district which is largely dependent on agriculture. It also tries to assess the possibility of developing initiatives within the region focused on sustainable agriculture and community development to overcome these challenges. Data were collected from 391 respondents revealing high incidences of post-harvest losses, climate variabilities, and transportation constraints as major issues holding the respondents from food security. Sustainable practices identified are crop diversification, rainwater harvesting, and agroforestry, while cooperative farming and collaboration among local shareholders are recognized as valuable community-driven solutions. The regressions indicate that sustainable practices and the community-driven interventions will improve food security significantly, although the effect of sustainable practices is slightly greater. The results indicate that a balanced mix of sustainable agriculture and community-driven efforts is necessary for increased food security in Kodagu. Keywords: Food Security, Sustainable Practices, Community-Based Solutions, Agricultural Challenges, Kodagu, Crop Diversification, Rainwater Harvesting, Cooperative Farming, Stakeholder Collaboration, Climate Variability.