Partcipatory indicators of food security and malnutrition

The search for valid and reliable indicators of household food and nutrition security has recently brought about innovations in participatory and qualitative indicators. This paper describes two of these. One is an indicator of household food security that relies on the frequency and severity of consumption-related coping strategies and on perceptions of sufficiency. The other is a participatory analysis of the determinants of malnutrition in children, using a concept mapping technique. Both approaches are described and discussed, particularly with localised applications. The article concludes by discussing the advantages of these indicators, and some of the problems and challenges associated with them.