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Household Income Diversification and Food Security: Evidence from Rural and Semi-Urban Areas in Ethiopia

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  • Bekele Gebisa Etea

    (College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China)

  • Deyi Zhou

    (College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China)

  • Kidane Assefa Abebe

    (College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China)

  • Dessalegn Anshiso Sedebo

    (College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China)

Abstract

Reducing food insecurity remains a major public policy challenge in developing countries. Food insecurity becomes severe in areas where households highly depend on undiversified livelihoods. However, studies linking household income diversification to food security are limited. This study, therefore, examined the effect of income diversification on food security in the Ambo district, Ethiopia. A survey of rural (n = 175) and semi-urban (n = 175) households was conducted. The Simpson’s index of diversity (SID) was used to measure the level of household income diversity. Food security (access) was measured using the daily calorie consumption (nutrition-based) and the household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) (experience-based) methods. Consequently, we used binary logistic regression and ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation methods to determine the effect of household income diversity on food security. The instrumental variable (IV) method was also employed to overcome an endogeneity bias. The results revealed that the level of household income diversification was low, and the majority of households were food insecure. The binary logistic and the second-stage least square (2SLS) regression results suggested that income diversification contributes significantly and positively to food security in the study areas. Therefore, we conclude that income diversification reduces food insecurity by enhancing households’ access to food.

Suggested Citation

  • Bekele Gebisa Etea & Deyi Zhou & Kidane Assefa Abebe & Dessalegn Anshiso Sedebo, 2019. "Household Income Diversification and Food Security: Evidence from Rural and Semi-Urban Areas in Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:12:p:3232-:d:239024
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    2. Omachi, Alice B & Van Onselen, A & Kolanisi, U, 2022. "Evaluation of food and nutrition security status of Nigeria preschool children towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 1,2,3 - A review," African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND), African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND), vol. 22(10).
    3. Zhang, Daojun & Yang, Wanjing & Kang, Dingrong & Zhang, Han, 2023. "Spatial-temporal characteristics and policy implication for non-grain production of cultivated land in Guanzhong Region," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    4. Sukhwinder Singh & Andrew D. Jones & Ruth S. DeFries & Meha Jain, 2020. "The association between crop and income diversity and farmer intra-household dietary diversity in India," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(2), pages 369-390, April.
    5. Zoungrana, Amelie, 2022. "Income diversification and food security:evidence from Burkina Faso," MPRA Paper 112337, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Mishra, Pulak & Das, Pinaki & Ghosh, Soumya Kanti & Dandapat, Akash & Dasgupta, Soumita, 2024. "Agriculture-livestock-forestry nexus and household income diversification: Experiences from selected villages of West Bengal, India," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).

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