ASSESSMENT OF THE CAUSES OF FOOD INSECURITY ON RESIDENTS, THE CASE OF KELELA WOREDA, SOUTH-WOLLO ZONE, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

In Ethiopia, food insecurity was studied by many researchers; but there is limited information about causes of food insecurity in Kelela Woreda at household level. This study was aimed at assessing the food security status, causes/determinants and coping strategies of households‟ food insecurity problem in Kelela Woreda. The study was conducted upon cross-sectional survey design. About 175 sample respondents were selected by using systematic random sampling techniques from selected Kebeles including both male and female headed households. Data were collected through questionnaire, semi-structured interview, focus group discussion and observation from the field. Tools like percent, regression etc., were employed for analyzing data using SPSS. Household size, farmland size, access to chemical fertilizer, livestock size and access to credit facility were significantly affecting household food security status in the study area. Low food crop production, poor farming practice, rainfall shortage, inadequate knowledge on food storage, overselling of the product for income and poor soil fertility were the major causes of food insecurity. Sell of livestock, reducing the amount of frequency and size of food, selling firewood and borrow grain and money from relatives were the copping strategies practiced by food in-secured HH. Farmers and government should focus on intensive farming so as to increase agricultural output and reduce the food insecurity problem of households in Kelela Woreda, Northern Ethiopia.