Determinants of Food Security under Subsistence Agriculture in Northern Ethiopia. A case Study from Hintalo--'jirat Wereda, South Eastern Zone of Tigray Region
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2008-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Food security is a relative concept defined as the access to food by all people at all time to enough
food for an active, productive and healthy life. Food security can be achieved when households
produce enough staple food for their consumption or when they have enough income to meet their
food need from market. Like many developing countries, Ethiopian farmers in the highlands
predominantly practice subsistence farming and are ojien subject to food insecuirty. The current
study aims to identify the determinants in achieving food security at household level in HintaloWajirat
wereda, South Eastern zone of Tigray region , Northern Ethiopia. The data was collected
Fom both primary and secondary sources. A multi stage cluster sampling procedure were
employed to sellect households Fom the wereda. Households were selected using systematic
random sampling procedure proportional to size Fom the selected gots of the study area. A total
of 210 households were interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire based interview
schedule Fom three agro-ecological zones of the wereda. A two stage least square regression
analysis was used to identify the determinant variables offood production andfood security status
of a household. Total cultivated land size and total livestock holding of the household were found
to significantly(P<0.05) ditermine grain production of the households in the wereda. The food
security status of the study area was found to be significantly determined by farm grain production
(P<O.OOI), grain purchased/i·om the market (P<O.OOI) and aid/remittance support received by
the households (P<0.05). The later two factors are mostly influenced by the food security copping
strategies followed by the households, their access to market and social networks. Thus,
development poliCies designed for the wereda should target on enhancing these determinant
variables offood security and on controllingfamity size and population growth to improve access
to and size of land. Moreover, the government and non government organization dealing with
achieving food security in the wereda should emphasize on creating income generating activities
so as to improve the purchasing power of households, enhance asset building mechanism , access
to market and other social inFastructures. '
J Key words: food security, subsistence, agro ecological zone.
Description
Keywords
Subsistence Agriculture