Food environments, food security and household food availability of circular migrant families: a mixed methods study among brick kiln laborers in Bihar, India

BACKGROUND: Circular migration is the dominant pattern of movement in India, and is a livelihood strategy used by many food insecure rural households. Repeated shifts in food environments have important implications on household food security and dietary patterns, but have not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To explore differences in the food environment, food security, and food availability between home and destination spaces. METHODS: Mixed-methods research was conducted among circular migrant families working and residing on brick kilns in the state of Bihar. Utilizing stratified cluster sampling, two rounds of cross-sectional data were collected from 2564 families. Additionally, 25 in-depth interviews were conducted with circular migrant parents, kiln owners, and labor contractors. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was validated for use in our study population. Bivariate analyses were conducted to estimate the association of food insecurity with sociodemographic variables. Qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive thematic methods. RESULTS: 70 percent of respondents utilized at least one non-market source of food at the origin; at the destination, sources of food were limited to the private market. Despite higher food prices at the destination, perceived food affordability was higher during periods of migration, resulting in improved food security. Tubers, rice, and wheat were typically available in the household daily, whereas fruits, eggs, and dairy were typically unavailable during the week. CONCLUSIONS: Circular migration can enable short-term food security by improving food affordability. Policy frameworks must address the root causes of chronic food insecurity, especially among rural-to-rural circular migrant families.