Abstract
This research evaluates the effect of agricultural commercialization on the dietary diversity of
rural farm households in the Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. The dietary
diversity, which is recognized conventionally as the key indicator of food security, was determined
using the Household Dietary Diversity Scores (HDDS), which enumerate the food group
consumption over the specified period. The data represented 240 rural respondents, with 66.7%
male and 33.3% female, of which 75% of the study population was married, with an average size
of five members per household. About 97.9% of the respondents earned less than ₦50,000 monthly.
Results indicate that 74.2% of the respondents had a commercialization index between 0.81 and
1.00, and 65.0% had medium dietary diversity. Results indicate a negative relationship between
agricultural commercialization and dietary diversity, and that improved market participation does
not necessarily lead to better nutritional outcomes. This study concludes that although
commercialization increases income opportunities among farmers, farmers should be urged to
allocate increased agricultural income to purchase diverse and nutritious foodstuffs.