Abstract: | A clear understanding of the major causes of food insecurity helps policy makers and
planners formulate new policies that enhance food security. Therefore, this study was
conducted to measure food security/insecurity status of households, to identify factors
influencing farm households’ food security and coping strategies and policy options. In
order to achieve these objectives biophysical; demographic and socio-economic data
were collected from 121 randomly selected households in Ebinat District of South
Gondar Zone Amhara Regional State. A purposive, cluster and random sampling
procedure was used to select 3 PAs. A survey was conducted to collect the primary data
from sample respondents. Supplementary, secondary data were collected from various
sources. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics like mean, standard
deviation, and percentage. The survey result shows that about 73.8% of sample farmers
were food insecure and 26.2 were Food secure. From the study result; family size, level
of education,size of land holding fertility of land, size of Livestock holding,number of
oxen, Credit access, access to improved technology, access to irrigation, and Income of
the household are identified as cause of household food insecurity,whereas age of
household, and marital status, had no significant influence on food security level of the
HH. From the coping strategies implemented in the study area, income from animal
sale, off-farm income, reducing size and number of meals, sale of firewood and
charcoal, are widely practiced coping strategy in the area. Following the findings’a
number of useful recommendations were made based on the findings of the study”. |