ABSTRACT
Most poverty prevalence in developing countries is found among people living in rural areas, which depend on agricultural activities as their main source of livelihood (Suryana, 1992, Kuhonta, 1986). This study assessed the overall condition of the rural community in Pasaman (Jambak and Sarik village) and Sawahlunto/Sijunjung (SP I and SP IV village) district regarding to the poverty and nutritional situation by using an adapted Rapid Rural assessment method which was called RAPID: Rapid Nutritional Assessment for Community Based Poverty Alleviation Projects in Developing Countries, developed by GTZ. The method consists of interviewing key persons, focus group discussion, observation and height measurement of school children (6-9 years old). Other method to diagnose and analyze the nutritional situation of risk group is a nutritional survey. Interview and anthropometrics measurement of fewer than five children and the mother were done in this method. A poor state of nutrition and health also leads to lower productivity and reduces the availability of food at the household level, which now forms a vicious cycle. The availability of food can describe the food security status of the household. This study also attempted to look into the main problems of food security on rural community by using food security questionnaire developed by SEARCA (South East Asian Regional Center for Agriculture). The result of interviewing the mothers by this method revealed that current food security status in Jambak and Sarik was better than SP I and SP IV while SP IV was worse than SP I. The similar result was found by other two methods. RAPID method described the overall condition of the study area in a short time. This method also collected preliminary information on the nature and importance of poverty and nutritional problem, and supply of the resources of the study area. However this method insufficient to describe the relationship between nutritional problem and its determinant factor. Baseline survey gave the extent of the nutritional problem in the area, nevertheless this method needed some resources; fund, personnel, equipments and time. Food security method assessed the extent of food security problems in the area, however in this study, it was proved that the questionnaire was not fully applicable, therefore further analyses based on SEARCA method could not be completely applied.