Role of Underutilized Crops in Improving Food Security of the Households: A Case Study in Guto Gida District, Ethiopia
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Date
2021-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This paper focused on the contribution of crop diversification with underutilized crops in
improving household food security and livelihoods in Guto Gida district of Ethiopia. Most of the
farmers produce only stable food crops without considering their productivity, nutritional value
and production sustainability. Besides, nutritional role, productivity, and stress tolerance of
underutilized crops was not equally known and promoted in this region even though it improves
nutritional quality and increases purchasing power of the households. Multistage sampling
techniques was applied on a sample of 120 smallholder farmers was taken. Households are
categorized as underutilized crop producers and non-producers. Food Consumption Score and
Coping Strategy Index were employed to measure food security status of households. Ordinary
least squares and simple leaner regression models, and descriptive statistic were used to analyze
the data. The diversified producers of underutilized crops had showed significant level of crop
production (22.48%), consumption (11.73%), total annual sale (19.32%) and total income
generation (26.67%) than the non-producers of underutilized crops at alpha 5%. Based on this
result it can be conclude that crop diversification with underutilized crops is one of the
important options that can contribute significantly to household food security and livelihood
status. Overall results of the survey imply that the current agricultural policy of Ethiopia
government was not given attention to diversify and promotion the underutilized crops, so it
should get series attention and firm, specific, clear policy and strategies due to the continued
malnutrition and food insecurity threat in the country.
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Keywords
underutilized crop; food security; Food Consumption Score; Coping Strategy Index; Guto Gida district