Factors Influencing Food Insecurity and European Union Food Security Interventions among Rural Farm Households in Oromia: The Case of Dodota- sire Woreda
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Date
2006-07
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A.A.U
Abstract
Food insecurity of farm households in Dodota-Sire has been a continuing public problem. This
paper addresses the issue with the aim of identifying the factors and exploring some policy
options for its reduction. Especially, it examines factors influencing food insecurity with
emphasis on the impact of European Union food security project. To this effect, data have been
collected from a sample of 380 households (non-beneficiary and beneficiary of the project)
using stratified random sampling. food poverty line at a cost of recommended minimum
caloric intake (i.e. food energy intake method) has been set and then To bit model was
employed for each group. The model was fitted with 15 and 14 explanatory variables for
beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries respectively.
The study shows that sever food insecurity (in which the majority of household) was prevalent
among farm household in Dodota-Sire. There have been frequent climatic shocks and
idiosyncratic shocks related demographic and socio-economic factors. As a result of such
shock farmers have been adopted different coping mechanisms depending on common and
idiosyncratic shocks happens to the household at their respective level. The empirical analysis
reveal that household size, dependency ratio, total value of production , total expenditure, and
share of food in total expenditure, participation in off-farm activities, seed usage, and net
wealth, found to be significant and have expected sign. Further more, contribution of European
Union food security project for beneficiary. Oil the contrary, education of head, age of bead,
diversification extent, fertilizer usage where found to be insignificant.
The srudy conclude narural factors, demographic and socio-economic factors such as large
family size, high dependency ratio, low level of total value of production, low level of
livestock wealth , low panicipation in off-form activities, lack of productive asset, and so on of
famling are among the factors that increase the odds of food insecurity. Hence, replenishing
the re sources base, developing irrigation schemes, focusing of livestock related off-farm
activities such as cattle fattening and dairy farming, enhancing the productivity potentially, 3nd
awareness creation strengthens and broadening project interventions are some of the policy
options to be considered.
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Keywords
Insecurity and European, Rural Farm households