Homegarden improved avocado cultivation, income diversification, and food security for rural households in Central Ethiopia

Homegarden avocado cultivation offers a viable option for smallholder farmers to diversify their sources of income and food. This study examined the contribution of avocado cultivars to household income diversification and food security in the Jewe and Upper Gana kebeles of Central Ethiopia. Data were collected from 164 households using a semi-structured questionnaire and supplemented with focus group discussions. The results of this study indicated that Nabal, Hass, and Ettinger were the most commonly cultivated avocado cultivars. On average, the households owned four improved avocado trees. This study revealed that households had highly diversified income sources, with an average SID value of 0.63. The average fruit yields for the Nabal, Hass, and Ettinger cultivars ranged from 45 to 60 kg per household. These cultivars contributed approximately 14% and 10% of the household income sources and food consumption scores, respectively. This study found that, on average, households consumed 40 kg of Hass and 25 kg of Ettinger fruits, and sold 55 kg of Nabal and 25 kg of Ettinger fruits per harvest season. Improved avocado cultivation was positively associated with household income and food consumption. Local governments should encourage cultivation of these cultivars to enhance income and food security for farmers.The cultivation of improved avocado cultivars has sparked significant interest among Ethiopian smallholder farmers owing to the potential benefits offered by the different cultivars. This study examines how avocado cultivars contribute to household income diversification and food consumption among smallholder farmers in Central Ethiopia. The findings indicated that Nabal, Hass, and Ettinger were the most commonly grown avocado cultivars, which significantly contributed to household income sources and food consumption. Furthermore, 64% of the total avocado harvest was used to generate household income, while 36% was used for food consumption. Expanding these three avocado cultivars has the potential to maximise economic profits, enhance food and nutrition security, and support demand-driven avocado farming practices, both within the country and beyond. Consequently, these findings provide valuable information to local government agricultural extension experts, fruit tree development partners, avocado seedling production enterprises, and smallholder avocado farmers. The results can also guide policymakers in developing local-specific enabling policy frameworks that encourage the cultivation of these avocado cultivars on a wider scale, thereby enhancing food security and household income generation.