Rural farm households’ food security and the role of livelihood diversification in enhancing food security in Damot Woyde District, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Food insecurity becomes severe in areas where agriculture is households’ sole income source. Accordingly, this study looked into food security and the role of livelihood diversification in the Damot Woyde district in Southern Ethiopia. Data were gathered using a structured survey questionnaire, focus group discussion, key informants interview and field observation. The household food balance model (HFBM) and HFIAS (household food insecurity access scale) methods were employed to assess food security (availability and access respectively). The data was analyzed using Simpson’s index of diversity, binary logistic regression, multiple linear regression, and the independent sample t-test. The findings revealed that 69% of Woina Dega and 77% of Kolla (HFBM) households were food insecure. HFIAS also showed that only 22.2% of Woina Dega and 11.5% of Kolla households have been food secure. But in other, households, 26.6% of Woina Dega and 36% of Kolla were severely food insecure. Both the binary logistic and linear regression results indicated that livelihood diversification has a positive and important influence on food security in the study area. Hence, we posit that livelihood income diversification lessens the threats of food shortages in rural farm households.

Keywords:

• food security
• livelihood diversification
• rural households
• Damot Woyde
• Southern Ethiopia

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dilla College of Education for sponsoring the first author for a Ph.D. study. The authors also would like to extend their deep thanks to Damot Woyde district administration, farmers, local administrators, key informants, focus group participants and development agent workers who willingly shared their experience and provided necessary data at the expense of their precious time.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets employed and/or analyzed for this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethics approval and informed consent

The researchers obtained support letters from Arba Minch University’s School of Graduate Studies before beginning the actual research activities. The letters were sent to the Damot Woyde district administration and concerned governmental and nongovernmental organizations working in food security, agriculture, and rural development at the respected study sites. Before collecting data, informed consent was obtained from the study units: household heads, participants in focus group discussions, and key informants.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Eshetu Bichisa Bitana

Eshetu Bichisa Bitana, the corresponding author, Studied Socioeconomic Development Planning at Dilla University (MA) in 2016; Geography and Environmental Studies at Mekelle University (B.Ed.) in 2008 and now he is a Ph.D. candidate at Arba Minch University, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. He is a Lecturer at Dilla College of Education. His research interests include themes on Climate change/variability, Food security, Livelihood vulnerability and resilience, Natural resource management, Sustainable development and Population related issues.

Senbetie Toma Lachore

Senbetie Toma Lachore (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Kotebe Metropolitan University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abera Uncha Utallo

Abera Uncha Utallo (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia