Analyzing Food Security Status in the Artisanal Gold Mining Communities of Ikolomani, Kakamega, Kenya

The aim of this paper is to critically analyze the food security apparatus within the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities of Ikolomani in Kakamega County, Kenya. ASGM regions are often characterized by economies of speculation, land dispossession, ecosystem degradation, poverty, shifting culture, and dynamic local populations trying to make a living under these precarious conditions, which impact food security. In 2023, we investigated the status of food security in the gold mining communities of Ikolomani. Using a descriptive cross-sectional survey, 60 artisanal gold miners and 50 food vendors were interviewed. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews which were administered in the form of questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs), participatory transect walks, and expert informants on food systems in the area. The data was classified along the five dimensions of food security namely; food availability, food accessibility, food utilization, food stability, and food sovereignty. The data was then analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 where means, frequencies, and standard deviation were used to summarize results. Consequently, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square statistics were used to test the relationship between the variables, and then inferential statistics such as correlation analysis was used to indicate the strength and direction of the variables. The study established a positive correlation between ASGM and food security. The regression coefficients predicted that a unit increase in ASGM would increase food insecurity by 0.387. The study therefore concluded that ASGM is a key driver of food insecurity in Ikolomani’s ASGM communities. Consequently, the study recommended a policy-regulated framework where the community can reap the economic benefits of mining with minimal impacts on food security.