Rural Livelihood Strategies and Household Food Security: The Case of Farmers Around Derba Cement Factory, Sululta Woreda, Oromia Regional State
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Date
2016-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study examined the livelihood strategies and food security situation in Sululta woreda by taking
a randomly selected sample of 215 households from three rural kebeles. Mixed research approach
was employed and triangulation was vital method of converging concurrently collected data through
survey, interviews and FGDs. Descriptive statistics were used to describe livelihood strategies while
multinomial logistic regression was deployed to explain the determinants of livelihood strategies
and the linkage between livelihood strategies and household food security.
Mixed farming is typical of agricultural livelihood of the study households. Though majority of the
households were confined to agricultural livelihood, the widespread of non-farm activities was
observed. More than half of sample households undertake non-farm livelihood activities either as a
supplementary or as a main means of living. The distribution of livelihood strategies was not even
across the three agro-ecological conditions selected. Highland kebeles were more likely to intensify
agriculture than the lowland which operate more non-farm livelihood and depend on forest
products. The result of multinomial regression showed that land holding, livestock, educational
attainment, markets access, gender, and household composition determine the choice of livelihood
strategies. It also revealed the pushing reasons of diversification among households.
The effect of climatic vagaries on farmers’ livelihood was complemented by cement investment that
encroached on resources of rural people. The majority of households reported their experience of
chronic food access insecurity. Relatively, those respondents who engaged in agricultural and nonfarm
activities were more food secure than those confined to agriculture or non-farm. Sample
households with multiple livelihood strategies had diverse food entitlements to support their
sustainable consumption. This calls for inclusive policies and strategies that advocate rural non-farm
activities which supplement agriculture in pursuit of ensuring household food security in rural areas
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Keywords
Livelihood Strategies; Food Security