Sector primario

The first phase of the study involved an initial, exploratory, qualitative data collection. This included secondary data collection from published documents and grey cover reports as well key informants’ interviews to gather data on HIV and AIDS prevalence; agriculture production; home garden surveys in the Eastern Region of Ghana; the general knowledge on the area and its people. The information generated was used to select a potential sample of HIV-positive and HIV-negative rural households to participate in the survey. Besides, the information obtained facilitated the selection of participants for focus group discussions to operationalize the concepts of the study and to determine the relevant variables that were included in the questionnaire for the household survey. Focus group discussions were also used to identify food-related coping behaviours adopted by local households to cope with food shortages and developed a ranking for the individual food-related coping behaviours based on their perceived security. Details are presented in Table 3.1.

In Phase 2 a survey was conducted during October 2005 to February 2006 to collect quantitative data on home garden management strategies in HIV-positive and HIV-negative rural households. This was followed by preliminary analyses of the survey data which helped to identify relevant issues that required in-depth studies to answer the research questions. The results from the survey also made it possible to develop selection criteria for cases for further study.

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Table 3.1: Initial, exploratory, qualitative phase (Research Phase 1), answering the research question: What is the effect of HIV and AIDS on the management strategies in home gardens of rural households in the Eastern Region of Ghana?

Operational objectives

Expected outputs Methods, instruments and

strategies for data collection

Analysis Research Phase 1: Initial, exploratory, qualitative phase

Objective: Development of survey questionnaire A1: Secondary

data collection Information gathered on HIV and AIDS prevalence; agriculture production; home garden surveys; the area and people of the Eastern Region of Ghana, from various sources

Consult relevant books, reports, research articles, grey cover reports

Compare information from various sources A3: Identify potential sample of households  A sample of HIV-positive rural households

cultivating a home garden and a distant field obtained  A sample of HIV-negative

rural households

cultivating a home garden and a distant field obtained  Selection of participants

for focus group discussions  Selection and

training of field assistants

 Key informant interviews

 Consult Association of people living with HIV and AIDS  Consult CBO and

NGOs  Informal discussions

 Household visit  Home garden visits

Develop a list of HIV-positive and HIV-negative households A3: Operationalize concepts of the study and determine relevant variables to include in questionnaire for survey

 Questionnaire for survey developed  Key informant interviews  Focus group discussions (FGD)  Interview guide  Check list  Informal discussions  Household visits  Home garden visits

Compare information from FGDs and key informants

Phase 3 involved in-depth studies which focused on the use of in-depth interviews to investigate key process and relationships using case studies. The initial part of Phase 3 focused on uncovering the effect of the interaction between household HIV status and gender of the home garden owner on biodiversity in home gardens. The study used 12 selected case study households drawn from the groups of female-headed and dual-headed HIV-positive and HIV-negative rural households to provide a comprehensive insight into how home gardens are managed in the different household types. A series of in-depth interviews and informal discussions were conducted with these households and observations were made during the period to provide vivid information facilitating the comparison of household agricultural production (in fields and home gardens), home garden management practices, gender-specific tasks, and contribution of home garden produce to dietary diversity among the four categories

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of households. The second part of the in-depth studies was conducted with 20 selected case study households to explore the differences and similarities in the biodiversity in subsistence- oriented and commerce-oriented home gardens of HIV-positive and HIV-negative rural households and the importance in household food security. Through semi-structured interviews more detailed information was obtained from these households on the choice of home garden crops, management inputs used in home garden cultivation, seasonal availability of home garden produce, uses of home garden produce, household dietary preferences and income generating activities. Chapters 5 and 6 provide more details.

The fourth and last phase of the study involved a multiple round survey to examine the seasonal dimension of coping with food shortages through the documentation of empirically based information on the food-related coping behaviours in rural households living with HIV and AIDS at peak periods of seasonal food shortages. Specifically the differences in frequency and severity of the food-related coping behaviours adopted; agricultural production; and income generating activities take on during the post-harvest period and in the lean season between HIV-positive and HIV-negative rural households were assessed. The objective was to highlight the magnitude of food insecurity experienced by these households at peak periods of seasonal food shortages. A detailed account is given in Chapter 7.