Food Security Determinants and Coping Strategies in Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

Food insecurity has emerged as a key problem and development challenge in Ethiopia even after the country has shown some economic recovery. The main objective of this study was to analyze food security determinants and coping strategies in central highlands of Ethiopia. The data were collected from 123 households from three Kebeles, nine key informant interviews, and three focus group discussions. The methods of analysis included household food balance model (HFBM), Foster–Greer–Thorbecke (FGT), household food consumption score (HFCS), and binary logistic regression model (BLR). The results indicated that 62% of the households were food insecure. The mean calorie intake of the households was 2051.02 kcal/person/day. A statistically significant difference across the agroecological zones was observed in terms of food insecurity at the p = 0.05 level. Empirically, landholding size and soil fertility were the significant determinants of food security status at p = 0.01 level. Changes in consumption patterns and the sale of livestock are the dominant coping strategies reported by 88% and 84% of households, respectively. This study recommends changes in government policies and strategies to sustainably mitigate food security challenges by focusing on the district’s potential.