Resilient Neighborhood Household Food Security: Women’s Social Capital Networks, 1987–1996

Women’s social capital networks play crucial roles in household food security. The characteristic features of individual household food security networks included sharing relations with neighbors and relief organizations. The links between rural and peri-urban household networks allowed women to exploit diversities of resources. The income from market supplies of dairy and grain products can be used to enhance food security. By combining formal and informal networks, women have increased access to resources through public fundraising, linkages to retail trade, and food shops by establishing credit-client relationships. Quantities of food for exchange and monetary values showed that affluent households spend more monthly cash on food than medium wealth or poor households. Poor families tend to ‘beg’ more than other wealth ranks for different food items (such as sugar and tea leaves). The goal of long-term resilience in food security requires planning for the future.