An Empirical Examination of the Determinants of Food Insecurity among Rural Farm Households: Evidence from Kindo Didaye District of Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The major aim of this study was to assess the determinants of food insecurity among rural farm households in Kindo Didaye district, Ethiopia. Data for the study was obtained from 160 randomly selected farm households by using structured questionnaire. To select sample respondents, the stratified sampling technique was used. The adapted FGT index, Coping Strategy index and binary logit model were used for data analysis. The finding from FGT index revealed that 70.62 percent of households in the study area were found food insecure. The depth and severity of food insecurity were found 37% and 25.6%, respectively. The logistic regression model result showed that factors such as household size, livestock ownership of households, land size, opportunity to off-farm activities, and distance to the local market were found significant factors influencing households' food security status. Thus, promotion of family planning, enhancing livestock packages, and creation of rural employment opportunities are recommended.