Determinants of Rural Household Poverty Across Agro-Ecology in Amhara Region, Ethiopia: Evidence from Yilmana Densa Woreda

Abstract

In Ethiopia, poverty eradication is the central development agenda. Studies regarding to determinants of household poverty support the poverty reduction policies to bring sustainable development. The result revealed that the poverty head count ratio (62.3%), poverty gap (18.9%) and severity (5.8%) in Yilmana Densa woreda is higher than the national and regional rate. The model result revealed that educational status, cost of agricultural inputs, agro-ecology, and land and livestock ownership, saving culture and size of rented land were negatively and significantly related with household poverty. Whereas, family size, health status and inefficient labour force utilization were positively and significantly related with household poverty. The poverty head count ratio, gap and severity of Kola agro-ecology is higher than Dega and Woina-Dega agro- ecologies. Therefore, policy makers should design poverty reduction strategies based on agro-ecology difference to bring long lasting solution to household poverty which aims to bring sustainable development.

Keywords: poverty, binary logit, agro-ecology, farm household, development, sustainable