Examining the Effect of Petroleum Trade on Food Security Among the Low Income Households in Juba County, South Sudan

Abstract

The general objective of the study was to examine the effect of petroleum trade on food security among the low income households in Juba County, South Sudan. To achieve this, the study was guided by four specific objectives: to find out effect of petroleum production on food security; to establish how oil revenues affect food prices in local markets; to find out how petroleum trade affect food availability in Juba; and to find out how petroleum trade enhances accessibility to food in Juba County. Other factors including political and social crisis and others intervened in the course of the study and guided some phenomena in the understanding of the food security with regard to petroleum trade. A case study research design was used. The study predominantly employed a qualitative approach with a sample selection of 35 respondents. Data collected through the tools included mixed views on the use of petroleum revenues to enhance food security, enhanced food availability, increased food accessibility and attempts to achieve proper food utilization and food security stabilization. However, the study summarized the following on each of the four objectives: i. the petroleum production was found to be contributing to food security in Juba, ii. Petroleum trade was responsible for the fluctuation of food prices in Juba, iii. Petroleum trade facilitated the availability of food in Juba and iv. Petroleum trade enhanced accessibility to food in Juba.

The study concluded that petroleum trade was contributing to food security in Juba County. However, the study also indicated that petroleum trade was affecting food security negatively in terms of food prices fluctuation that results from unstable supply of hard currency for food imports in the market and over dependence on petroleum revenues at the expense of the diversification of the economy.

The study recommended that a wide range of measures be undertaken by the authorities including: the use of oil revenues to educate the citizens on the need to produce food sustainably, the use of the revenues to purchase improved agricultural tools and equipment for enhancing farms output, and other measures such as establishing of agriculture bank to provide financial and non-financial services to the farmers, giving specialized training to farmers, giving micro-loans to farmers, instituting governmental agencies to be tasked with food production and regulation, and the use of the petroleum revenues to bring peace and security to the country so that the farmers could do their work without fear of insecurity and destruction of property including their planted crops in the farms.

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