Abstract:
The study has conducted with the main objective of assessing households’ food insecurity in the
Mesela Woreda, West Hararghe Zone; Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. In order to achieve this
objective, the primary data pertaining to demographic, economic, socio-cultural, biophysical,
institutional, livelihood Strategies and coping mechanisms were collected from 194 randomly
selected respondents through personal interview using structured questionnaire administered by
6 enumerators. Furthermore, the study was supplemented by secondary data collected from
various sources. The collected data were presented, organized and discussed using both
descriptive statistics and econometric analyses. Attempts were made to look in to the specific
characteristics of the food secure and food insecure groups using t-test and chi-square tests.
Binary Logistic regression model was used to identify the potential variables capable of affecting
the food insecurity status in the woreda. In order to measure whether selected sample household
is food secure or not, the amounts of calorie available to a household were determined using a
modified version of the regional food balance model. The descriptive analysis result revealed
that, 179 (92.3%) and 15 (7.7%) of total sample households were found to be food insecure and
food secure respectively. Age of the household head, sex of household head, family size,
dependency ratio, annual income, number of livestock owned, farm land size, education status of
household head, food aid, irrigation, credit use and off farm/Non-farm participation were among
the predictor variables included in the data analysis. Moreover, limiting size and frequency of
food, borrowing and gifts from relatives and friends, selling of livestock, selling of firewood and
relief assistance were identified as the main coping strategies practiced in the study area.
Finally, limiting population size, promoting and expanding off-farm income generating
activities, improving the livestock production and productivity were recommended.
