Determinants of food security status of household in Central and North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

In rural Ethiopian food, the security status of the household is at the most horrible stage. Ensuring food security in Ethiopia is becoming a great challenge due to different factors. Therefore, the study aimed to identify determinants of food security in the study area. A simple random sampling technique was employed to take 500 sample respondents. Both quantitative and qualitative types of data were collected. Primary data were collected through interview schedule, focus group discussion, and key informant interviews. Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) was used to assess the household’s food security status and a binary logit model was employed to identify the determinants of food security status of a household. The result of the study indicated 38% of households were food secure and 62% of them were food insecure. Access to training, sex, and family size were significant at 10%. The number of oxen, off-farm, farmland size, and age were significant at 5%. However, the tropical livestock unit, livelihood diversification and household on-farm income were significant at 1%. Therefore, since majority of the households were food insecured, appropriate stakeholder selection to support hosehold engagement in different income generating activities as well as providing a timely and adequate supply of agricultural technologies should be considered to improve the existing food security situation.