FOOD INSECURITY AND COPPING STRATEGIES OF AGRO PASTORAL HOUSEHOLDS IN AWBAR WOREDA, ETHIOPIAN SOMALI REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

An understanding of the major causes of food insecurity is important for interventions aiming to reduce it. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze food insecurity status of agro-pastoral households’, to identify determinants of food insecurity status of agropastoral households, and to identify agro-pastoral households coping strategies against food insecurity in Awbare district. The analysis was based on household survey data gathered from140 randomly selected households. Descriptive statistics, such as mean, standard deviation, maximum, minimum, percentage and frequency distribution. Univariate analysis such as t-test and Chi-square ( 2) test and binary Logit regression were used to analyze the data. The results from descriptive statistics show that the majority (55.7 percent) total surveyed households were food insecure. The binary logit model outputs show that six variables were significant determinants of household food insecurity. These were dependency ratio, cultivated land, livestock ownership, oxen ownership, family size and age of the household head. Furthermore, results show that households also used different coping strategies against food insecurity and these include, borrowing food or cash from relatives or neighbor’s’, reduced number of meals, reduced meal size, sale of livestock than usual and sale of fire wood and charcoal. The results generally suggest the need to improve agricultural technologies enhancing land productivity and special attention should also be given to improving animal health services through provision of veterinary services and provision of training to livestock herders. Finally, limiting population size through integrated health and education services and giving priority to old aged headed households in interventions, introduction of water harvesting technologies to practice intensified agriculture are also suggested to improve food insecurity status of households.