This study assessed the effect of traditional leafy vegetables (TLVs) on the level of food security in the rural area of Dlangezwa, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A total of 100 respondents were selected using a simple random sampling method. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to measure the food security status. The influence of TLVs on household food security was examined using an ordered logit model. Pumpkin leaves and blackjack were the most consumed traditional leafy vegetables in the study area, at 97% and 81%, respectively. The results from HFIAS showed that 17% of the households were food secure, 44% were mild food insecure, 26% were moderately food insecure and 13% were severely food insecure. The results from the chi2 test showed that there was a significant correlation between the intake of cowpeas (p = 0.02), blackjack (p = 0.01), and moringa (p = 0.02) with the degree of household food security in the surveyed houses. The ordered logit model's findings indicated that consumption of leafy vegetables, educational attainment, employment status, and marital status all had a substantial impact on the food insecurity of the households. The marital status of a household showed a positive and significant impact on the food insecurity situation, while educational level, employment status, and consumption of leafy vegetables showed a negative and significant impact. For enhanced household food security, there is a need for initiatives that encourage the use of a wide range of traditional leafy vegetables such as Moringa oleifera, Amaranthus, and cowpeas. More awareness should be made regarding the nutritional benefits that TLVs have.
Keywords: HFIAS; food (in)security; ordered logit model; traditional leafy vegetables.