The Impact of Productive Safety Net Program on Food Security of Beneficiry Households: The Case of Damot Gale, Damot Pulasa and Damot Sore Woredas in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The Ethiopian government has various Food Security Programs (FSP). The Productive Safety Net Program is one of those programs implemented by the Ethiopian government to control food insecurity. There are also other components such as voluntary resettlement and Other Food Security Programs (OFSP). OFSP has many activities in different purposes which is mainly targeted towards “household packages” which supports both agricultural and non-agricultural economic activities. To generate data and analyze them both qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed. In the due course qualitative data were analyzed using description and logical narrations.  Using SPSS 20 frequency distribution table and t test were used. Logistic regression model was employed to analyze the impact of productive Safety Net Program on the food security. Based on the data analysis result findings were distinguished. As it is indicated in the result of this study the PSNP was supporting beneficiaries in food consumption improvement, increasing job opportunity, household asset accumulation and betterment of livelihoods. The age and education level of the households heads and frequency of shocks in the last five years were significantly determined the effective and efficient performance of PSNP. Various factors were identified that challenged the effectiveness of PSNP. There were lack of awareness of beneficiaries, lack of follow-up, monitoring and evaluation, and low payment. To enhance the positive role of PSNP target identification should be done efficiently, monitoring and evaluation system should be improved, awareness of household heads about the use and benefit of safety net program should be periodically updated through training and forum discussion.

Keywords: Asset accumulation, Food Security, Livelihood, Productive Safety Net Program