Determinants Of Rural Households’ Food Security Status In East Belessa Worda Of Central Gonder Zone Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was carried out to identify the major determinants of the rural household food security status and listing out of local coping strategies. To achieve the objective of the study, cross sectional survey was employed and 147 rural households were selected randomly following probability proportional sampling procedure to proportionate number of kebeles. Structured household survey questionnaire, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observation were used for data collection, and analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model. This study followed a consumption based calorie deprivation indicator to measure the household food security status using seven days recalling. Therefore, the survey result showed that about 27% and 73% of sample respondents were food secure and insecure respectively. The most common coping mechanisms households took include reduce the number & size of meal per day and sales of the live animal & its products. Furthermore, the binary logit model outputs revealed that among eleven variables eight of them were significantly influencing household food security. These were age, family size, farm land size, livestock ownership, oxen ownership, off/non-farm income, use of fertilizer and improved seed for alleviating the food security problem of the study area, it needs to strengthen the food security intervention programs, giving attention for young age headed households and greater focus should be given on creating off/non- farm income generating activities, promoting family planning through integrated health and education services and promoting agricultural extension packages.