Abstract:
Gaining insight into the livelihood strategies adopted by Farming Households is crucial for the
success of interventions aiming at improving livelihood in rural areas. This study Analysed the
livelihood strategies adopted by farming households in Bako Tibe District, West Shoa Zone,
Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A total of 167 farming households were randomly sampled and
data were collected through interview with a structured questionnaire. The sample t-test was
used to compare sources of household income in terms of the livelihood strategies adopted by
Farming House Holds in the study area. The multinomial logit model was applied to investigate
the factors influencing the households ‘choice of livelihood strategies. The Livelihood
Vulnerability Index (LVI) was used to estimate the vulnerability level in the study district. The
results revealed that in the study area, farming activities(71.30%) produce increasingly higher
share of household income. Household age, gender of household, total farm size, membership in
cooperative organization, marital status, the use of improved varieties and participation in
social leadership were the determinants that significantly influence the adoption of alternative
livelihood strategies. The LVI in the study area was (0.31) with a very critical social network
component (0.48). This implied that farm households in Bako Tibe District were less vulnerable
but vulnerable with respect to the social network component. Due to the fact that farming
households in district mainly derived their income sources from farming activities, and were also
vulnerable with respect to the social network component. The study recommends that livelihood
interventions protection and promotion should be considered by all actors; national and
international government, NGOs and local institutions.
