Engaging in nonfarm activities has been considered an
important strategy to increase household income in rural
Burkina Faso. However, the empirical evidence on how income
from nonfarm activities contributes to household food security
in the country is limited. Relying on nationwide household
panel data and an instrumental variable approach, this study
shows that income from nonfarm activities positively affects
household food stability and overall food expenditure. The
share of food expenditure is also found to be negatively
associated with income from nonfarm activities, suggesting an
improvement in households' economic status. This evidence
has crucial policy implications for food security in rural Burkina
Faso, where households face severe income shocks due to
both climatic variability and poor investments in agriculture.

dietary diversity food expenditure food security food stability