The Level and Determinants of Food Insecuritamong Rural Households in East Wollega Zone: The Case of Diga Woreda

This study examines the level and determinants of food insecurity among rural households in western Ethiopia. The struggle to achieve food security at the household level in the rural area of Ethiopia dated back a long period. In light of this the study aims to identify the determinants of household food insecurity and estimate the extent and intensity of food insecurity. For this purpose, data was collected from 338 randomly selected rural households (131 food insecure and 207 food secure) from five Kebeles of the randomly selected Peasant Associations using two-stage proportionate stratified random sampling technique. In the first stage, the PAs were stratified into high and low altitude and then after five PAs (three low and two high) from 21 PAs were selected randomly and finally 338 household heads were selected randomly from five PAs with probability proportional to stratum size. To examine the problem, the study used descriptive statistics like mean, standard deviation, percentage, and frequency distribution on socio economic characteristics of the sampled households. In addition, t and chi-square tests were used to compare food secure and insecure sample groups with respect to the explanatory variables. Binary logistic regression was fitted to analyze the determinants of food insecurity. Besides the FGT poverty analysis was used to analyze the incidence and extent of food insecurity. The result indicated that family size, sex of the household head, age square of household head, status of education of household head, cultivated land size, livestock ownership and proportion of food expenditure pattern were found to be significantly influence food insecurity. The incidence, gap and severity were 38.76%, 8.4% and 2.64% respectively. The amount of resource required to bring all households to the minimum recommended daily requirements (2100kcal) is estimated to be 10203.63 quintals of cereals per year. The findings suggest limiting population size and giving priority to gender mainstreaming, capacity building for old household heads and subsidizing them, increasing rural household heads’ enrolment ratio in adult education, enhancing appropriate land use, using of improved technologies and proper extension services to raise land productivity, improving the provision of adequate veterinary services, improved water supply points, introduction of timely and effective artificial insemination services to up-grade the already existing breeds, and enhancing the diversified income of the poor rural household were suggested. Keywords: Food insecurity, Intensity of food insecurit