CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Of The Study
Food scarcity, with its dangers for survival and serious physical and psychological discomfort, has been part of human experience and human culture from the earliest inception of language and thought. The need to overcome the challenges associated with insufficiency of food production and consumption in Nigeria has been a recurring issue manifesting since independence in 1960. The projection of Federal Ministry of National Planning (1975) was that agricultural sector was expected to generate employment for the active but unemployed individuals, guarantee self-sufficiency and self-reliance in food production as well as foreign exchange but these were not realized.
Recently a lot of researchers have shown from their studies the tendencies of Nigeria going into food scarcity in the year 2022 if insecurity on farming community continues(FAO 2016). This is because of the incessant bandit attacks carried out on farmers in the Northeast and Middle Belt which is the food basket of the nation,thus farming communities flee their residence leaving their crops and farms which is likely to lead to food scarcity/insecurity.
Food scarcity/insecurity, as measured in the United States, refers to the social and economic problem of lack of food due to resources, circumstances or other constraints. This definition, supported by the ethnographic research conducted by Radimer et al. (1992). Wolfe, Frongillo, and Valois (2003) added that food scarcity/insecurity is experienced when there is (1) uncertainty about future food availability and access, (2) insufficiency in the amount and kind of food required for a healthy lifestyle, or (3) the need to use socially unacceptable ways to acquire food and concurrence of crises which would not allow availability of food production. Thus the increase rise of banditry attacks on farming communities by the herdsmen has become a vital issue of economic concern.
Banditry is a term used to refer to acts of robbery and violence in areas where the rule of law has broken down (Collins, 2000). Banditry consists of the organization of armed bands for the purpose of attacking state or social institutions or enterprises or individual persons. Participation in such bands and in the attacks committed by them is equally regarded as banditry (Collins, 2000).
Notably, any form of violence that leads to insecurity in rural areas where majority of the people are farmers is bound to affect food security and farming practices anywhere in the world hence the upsurge of food scarcity abounds. The United Nations in September 2020 observed that attacks by insurgent and banditry groups will deepen food scarcity/insecurity into the year 2022 in Africa as these terrorist activities obstruct farming practices and food crop production (Channels UN report 2020). Therefore it is on this note that this research seek to examine the implication of banditry activities on food scarcity.