Habert, Vukoni2026-10-192026-10-192026Habert, V. (2026). Assessing the determinants of food insecurity among the smallholder farmers in Uleppi sub-county, Madi Okollo district. [Unpublished undergraduate research report]. Busitema University.https://bdears.busitema.ac.ug/handle/123456789/11082Undergraduate research reportFood insecurity is a severe challenge, with roughly 40% of the Ugandan population estimated to be food insecure, particularly in rural areas. Madi Okollo District is an acute hotspot within the West Nile region, with projections indicating deterioration from IPC Phase 2 (Stress) to IPC Phase 3 (Crisis). Despite this, there has been a lack of empirical research quantifying how agricultural and institutional challenges interact to drive smallholder household food insecurity in Uleppi Sub-County. This study analyzed the socio-economic, agricultural, and institutional determinants of food insecurity among smallholder farmers in Uleppi Sub-County, Madi Okollo District. Utilizing a cross-sectional quantitative survey design and Yamane’s formula at an 8% margin of error, primary data was collected using structured questionnaires from a random sample of 143 smallholder households across nine villages. Household food insecurity was evaluated via the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR) in SPSS. Descriptive results revealed a severe localized crisis: a staggering 73.4% of households were categorized as severely food insecure, and 16.8% were moderately food insecure, leaving only 6.3% completely food secure. The multivariate OLR model was statistically significant χ²(12) = 42.57, p = .002, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.364) and isolated four significant predictors (p < .05). Log-transformed monthly household income, larger farm sizes (B = -0.052, p = .044), and age of the farmer (B = -0.072, p = .006) operated as vital structural defense factors, significantly reducing the likelihood of severe food shortages. Conversely, prolonged farming experience emerged as a significant risk factor (B = 0.099, p = .002), increasing the odds of higher food insecurity by 10.3% annually per additional year. This paradox indicates that long-term reliance on subsistence farming under declining environmental conditions compounds household vulnerability in the absence of modernization. The study concludes that food insecurity is a pervasive, income-driven access crisis rather than an availability deficit. Recommendations emphasize shifting from pure subsistence to income diversification programs, introducing climate-smart agricultural modernization to break environmental degradation cycles, and formalizing land user rights under the dominant customary tenure systems to foster long-term farm investments.enOther