Abstract:
Agriculture remains the main source of income for the majority of the rural population of
developing countries. This study aims at analyzing the determinants of household income
diversification and house holds income diversification effect on food security status using
a cross sectional data collected from Ditta Woreda of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. A
multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 145 sample households.
Structured questionnaire survey was under taken to obtain data pertaining to income
diversification and house holds income diversification effect on food security status.
Additionally, key informant interview, focus group discussion and observation were the
principal methods used to generate the required data. Descriptive statistics, multinomial
logistic and binary logit model were used to analyze quantitative data. The secondary
data was used to support the analysis. To measure the choicies of income diversification
of households by Herfindahi-Hirschma indices.The strategy of income diversification has
significant effect on the food security status of the rural farm households in the study
area, Education of house hold head, access of credit, household access to electricity,
member of cooperative, contact with development agent, dependency ratio of house hold
size, distance to the nearest market and land sizes engagement of rural households in off
and non-farm income generating activities ware significant effects on the choice of
household income diversification and household income diversification effect on food
security. Finally, this research indicates the important policy implications suggesting that
programs, projects and/or any interventions designed targeting to engage people in other
income generating activities would augment their income sources which are made to
increase the food security status of household choice in Ditta Woreda.
