Abstract:
Chronic food insecurity is one of the main problems which affected millions of Ethiopians
for centuries. In 2005, to solve the problem of food insecurity and move away from the
previous system of annual emergency appeals, the Ethiopian government in collaboration
with development partners launched social protection program called productive safety
net program. This study was conducted to identify factors affecting participation in
productive safety net program and to evaluate its impact on household food security in
Kenna Woreda, Konso zone, Southern Ethiopia. Multi-stage sampling techniques were
used to select 264 households with equal number of beneficiary and non- beneficiary of the
productive safety net program. The study used both primary and secondary data sources.
The primary data was collected using structured questionnaire. Relevant secondary data
also reviewed. The descriptive statistics and an econometric model propensity score
matching has been applied to evaluate the impact of the productive safety net program on
household food security. A Logit model were used to analysis potential covariate variables
affecting household participation in productive safety net program. The result indicated
that, participation in productive safety net program were negatively influenced by livestock
holding, credit, and cultivated land size. Whereas, positively influenced by shock
experience, and agricultural extension. The propensity score matching resulted in
matching 125 control households with 130 treated households. In other words, matching
comparison based on outcome variables (Calorie intake and total household income) were
performed on these households who shared similar pre-intervention characteristics except
participation in the program. Result of the average treatment effect on treated (ATT) shows
that as compared to non-beneficiary households the program intervention increase the
beneficiary household calorie intake and total income by 12.36 percent (244.86
Kcal/AE/Day) and 36.5 percent(1894.25 ETB), respectively. This shows that program has
brought significant change on household calorie intake and total income and hence to be
encourage in the future. Therefore, the development intervention should give emphasis on
the improvement of the benefit to the program beneficiary.
