Identifying the Status and Determinants of Food Insecurity in North Central Ethiopia: a case Study from Borena District, Ethiopia

Abstract

Currently, food insecurity is a global concern particularly in the developing nations like Ethiopia despite there is governmental efforts. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to identify the status and determinants of rural households’ food security in Borena district, north central Ethiopia. The study followed the positivism world view with a cross sectional study design. The study used multistage sampling procedure which involves a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques to select 358 sample household heads. Household sample survey was the main means that was used to acquire primary data. To identify the status of food insecurity and its determinants, Dietary Energy Supply indicator and Binary logistic regressions model were respectively employed. The results showed that about 71.7% of the respondents were food unsecured households. A binary logistic regression model which was used in the study confrmed that education, cultivated farm size, improved seeds, urban linkages and access to health extension workers positively determined the food security while family size (population pressure) negatively determined the food security status of the households in the study area. Thus, the stakeholders (government bodies, non-governmental organizations, humanitarian agents and community leaders) need to intervene on regularly consumed nutritious foods. Policy reformers and designers should also work hard to reform and design policies on improvements in rural households’ education, size of cultivated land, access to health extension workers, improved seeds and rural- urban linkage in order to alleviate their food security constraints.