Determinants of Food Security in the Vulnerable Areas of Ethiopia: The Case of Ahferom Wereda in Region Tigray
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Date
2005-04
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The drought-prone areas of the country are largely areas of chronic food insecurity.
Production-based entitlements supplemented by creation of mechanisms of food access is
considered as the major instruments of attaining food security in the rural development
and food security strategies of the country. To this effect the diffusion of modem inputs
and expansion of agricultural services and soil and water conservation activities are
relatively widely employed. Moreover, the enhancement of alternative employment
opportlmities is emphasized. Nevertheless, there is permanently a low food production
capacity and chronic food insecurity in such areas.
This study aims at examining and estimating the determinants of food security
perceptions and own food production capacities of sample households from Ahferom
Wereda of Region Tigray. The households are asked about the number of months they
can cover their annual need from their yearly income/production. They are also requested
about the amount of crop they produced in two consecutive years of 2001 and 2002
which is also changed into its calories equivalent and the number of months it can meet
the minimum calories requirement of the household is computed. Various socioeconomic,
technological and environmental factors are identified and their effects on
yield, perception of food security status and own food production of the households have
been analyzed. For this, cross tabulation of means and percentages are employed. Finally,
two linear econometric models are formulated to statistically estimate the outcomes.
The findings of the study indicate that the households have low production capacity and
food security status due to various socio-economic and environmental factors . The
average month that households perceived that their income/production can sufficiently
cover their requirement is 5.23 months. The computed own produced food was ab le to
cover 3.81 and 3.48 months of their minimum calories requirement respectively in 2001
and 2002. Both food security perception and food production are inversely related with
family size, dependency ratio, female head of household, past famine experience, rainfall
shortages, terrace construction, and getting access to loan. Both are also positively
affected by factors such as farm assets, male head of households, involvement in off-farm
activities and literacy of head of household. Some factors such as access to extension
service, being in highland, employment in non-farm and food for work have inverse
relation with food production but direct relation with that of food security perception.
Moreover, application of improved seeds could not be helpful in food production while
application offertilizer and either chemical are positive, though insignificantly.
Generally, the ~Q.lQgies-and...agcicu-ltuFa.I-ser.y.ie8s-.ool~l d-Ro.~l.ell2ful ill incre~g
I1roductivit du~o....lar.gel In gJ;.o~ecolQgiG pro e an.9. iteracy of the peasant·
Rspecially, terracing, access to loan and extension service particularly to-the"TIliiefate are
associated with lower yields and food production capacity. The literate is relatively in a
better position of getting an advantage from extension service, getting relatively higher
yields, using employment opportunities and food security perceptions.
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Keywords
Food Security in the Vulnerable Areas of Ethiopia