Determinants of Food Security in Rural Households Intervened with Food Security Programme: The Case of Boricha Woreda in Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify determinants of household food security in Boricha woreda, Sidama zone. Objectives designed to identify household characteristics, environment, Food Security Programme and capacity building services related determinants of food security, and assess food security status of households. Cross-sectional household survey method was used to collect data from 180 randomly sampled households. In order to collect data, household and Focus Group Discussion interview schedules were developed. For analysis of collected data, Statistical Package for Social Sciences software for windows version 16 was used. Multiple regressions were used to analyze determinants of food security. In case, eighteen out of 28 explanatory variables were significantly and negatively determine food security in study area. Household characteristics related factors: Not integrating farming system, not using agricultural inputs and credit for investment alone, selling crops immediately after harvest, borrowing money from informal rural money lenders, renting out livestock from neighbors, and lack of confidence were significantly influencing household food security. Similarly, environment specific factors: Recurrent drought, sociocultural practices and high price of food were challenging food security. Likewise, Food Security Programme related factors: Not full targeting household members for, deduction from, unaccountability and predictability of Productive Safety Net Programme transfer and credit sharing with other people were also affecting food security in study area. Moreover, capacity building services related factors: Not training households for market and techniques of investment, not monitoring investment and lacking experience sharing were   influencing food security in study area. Majority (72.2%) of respondents were moderate (60%) to most (12.2%) food insecure in study area. The factors related to household characteristics, environment, Food Security Programme and capacity building services were determining household food security in study area. In order to address determinants of household food security, the identified challenging factors: Household characteristics, environment, Food Security Programme and capacity building services related factors should be addressed.

Keywords: Determinants of food security, Household food security status, Sidama Zone,    Boricha woreda