Urban Expansion and its Effects on Food Insecurity and Poverty: Evidence from Peri-urban Farmers in Axum, Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia
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Date
2021-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Spatial urban expansion in developing countries, not exceptional Ethiopia, puts immense pressure
by taking peri-urban fertile agricultural land to buildups. Thus, this study aims to investigate the
impact of urban expansion on household food insecurity and poverty. A mixed-method explanatory
sequential research design was applied. Crossectional data were collected from 341 households
where 101 partially displaced and 240 not-displaced households using a survey questionnaire and
qualitative data were generated from focus group discussion and key-informant interviews. Food
security status of households was measured using different indicators to capture the key
dimensions of food security. Likewise, the nutritional status of children under five ages was
measured using anthropometric measurements and composite index anthropometric failure. The
determinants of food insecurity were analyzed using binary and ordered logistic regression models.
The multidimensional Poverty Index was applied to measure household poverty. Similarly, binary
logistic regression was applied to identify determinants of multidimensional poverty of households.
Stochastic frontier analysis was employed to estimate production efficiency while associated
factors that affect production efficiency were analyzed using the Tobit model. Lastly, a multivariate
probit model was applied to examine agricultural technology adoption of smallholder peri-urban
farmers. The impact assessment of food availability showed that displaced households consume
146 kcal less than non-displaced households with no statistical mean difference between displaced
and non-displaced households. The prevalence of multidimensional poverty was higher among
displaced households with a statistically significant mean difference between displaced and nondisplaced households. Living standard and health dimensions highly contribute to overall
household multidimensional poverty. The production efficiency showed non-displaced households
were technically, allocativelly, and economically efficient than displaced households. Displaced
households' tendency to adopt agricultural technology was lower than non-displaced households.
Generally, urban expansion intensifies poverty, reduces production efficiency and technology
adoption of households. The researcher recommends Bureau of agriculture should tirelessly work
to increase production efficiency as priority agenda to halt the food insecurity and poverty of the
study area.
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Keywords
Agricultural technology; Production function; PSM; Regression; Stochastic frontier analysis; HFBM