Background
Agriculture is considered an important strategy for overcoming many of the emergencies faced by rural households in developing countries. In rural Ethiopia household access to food largely depends on what the household grows, either because they consume what they grow, or they purchase food with the income earned from what they grow. This study examines effect of crop diversification on food security and determinants of household food security among rural farm households of Sinana District, Oromia Regional state. The study uses a multi stage sampling procedure to select 384 sample households. Data were collected using a household survey, a focus group discussant (FGD), and key informant interviews. Ordinary least squares regression (OLS) and multinomial logistic regression model were used to analyze the data collected.
Results
We found that crop diversification had a positive and significant effect on household food security. Although crop diversification was positively associated with household food security, several other factors were found to be as or more important in increasing household food security. The education of the household head, access to irrigation system, livestock owned, total income, and remittance positively affected household food security. In contrast, age of household head and distance to nearest market were negatively associated with food security.
Conclusions
The study conclude that any effort to increase household food security should consider empowerment of farmers through adequate training and informal education, enhancing crop diversification, strengthening the rural infrastructural development (roads, market centers, and cooperatives).
Background
The government of Ethiopia has been promoting large-scale agricultural investments to accelerate agricultural modernization and improve local people’s food security. However, studies that quantify the actual impact of such investments on the food security status of the investment hosting community using diverse food security indicators and suitable impact estimation methods are scanty. The main purpose of this article is, therefore, to analyse the impact of large-scale agricultural investments on the food security status of the Anuak community in Gambella region. This study employed a quasi-experimental research design. Data were gathered from 352 households selected through a systematic sampling technique and analysed using a Propensity Score Matching technique.
Results
The result shows that large-scale agricultural investments have a significant negative impact on the food security status of the local community and have worsened their food insecurity problem. The investments have reduced food availability, access, and utilization of the local people and increased their vulnerability to food insecurity.
Conclusions
We conclude that the Ethiopian government and private investors have failed to generate the benefits that they aspire at the local level to ensure the food security of the affected community. We, therefore, suggest that the Ethiopian government should reform the sector in such a way that takes the local context into account and embraces local people so that they can directly benefit from employment opportunities, infrastructural development, and technological transfer.
PurposeThe Ethiopian government is promoting large-scale agricultural investment in lowland regions of the country, claiming that the investment could improve livelihoods of the local people. The outcomes of the investment, however, have been a controversial issue in public and academic discourses. Particularly, studies that quantify the impact of such investment on the asset base of local people are extremely limited. The main purpose of this study is, therefore, to investigate the actual effect of the investment on the asset of the local people and inform policy decision.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a quasi-experimental research design and a mixed research approach. Data were collected from 342 households drawn through a systematic sampling technique and analysed by using multiple correspondence analysis and propensity score matching.FindingsThe study finds that the investment has a significant negative impact on the wealth status of affected households and deteriorated their asset base.Practical implicationsThe results imply that inclusive and fair business models that safeguard the benefits of the investment hosting community and encourage a strong collaboration and synergy between the community and private investors are needed.Originality/valueThis study analyses the impact of large-scale agricultural investment on the asset of affected community based on various livelihood capital. In doing so, it significantly contributes to knowledge gap in the empirical literature. It also contributes to the ongoing academic and policy debates based on actual evidence collected from local community.
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