Crop diversification analysis on red pepper dominated smallholder farming system: evidence from northwest Ethiopia

Abebe Birara Dessie,Yigrem Mengist Liyew,Tadie Mirie Abate,Taye Melese Mekie

doi:10.1186/s13717-019-0203-7

Abebe Birara Dessie, Yigrem Mengist Liyew + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-019-0203-7

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Journal: Ecological Processes	Publication Date: Dec 1, 2019
Citations: 27	License type: open-access

Affiliation: University of Gondar

Abstract

BackgroundEthiopia is the homeland of various crops due to its diverse and suitable agro-ecological zones. As a result, smallholder farmers grow multiple crops on a small piece of land both for consumption and commercial purposes in different portions of Ethiopia, including the northwestern part of the country. However, crop diversification status and extent of farmers were not well understood. Therefore, this study examined determinants of crop diversification in a pepper-dominated smallholder farming system in northwest Ethiopia.MethodsPrimary data was collected through a semi-structured interview schedule administered on 385 crop producers selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Moreover, the survey was supplemented by using secondary data, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Methods such as the descriptive, inferential statistics, and econometrics model were used for analyzing the data.ResultsThe average crop diversification index was 0.77, and most smallholder farmers (92.46%) used crop diversification as a strategy for risk reduction, nutritional improvement, consumption, and commercial needs. Moreover, the Tobit model result revealed that the status and intensity of crop diversification were significantly influenced by farmland, sex, age, land fragmentation, distance to development center, market distance, and non-/off-farm income participation.ConclusionGenerally, most farm households used crop diversification as a norm and best strategy for minimizing risk, income source, nutritional and livelihood improvement. Therefore, crop producers, agricultural experts, the Ethiopian government, and partner organizations should give special attention to extension service, market, and infrastructure development to enhance the role of agricultural diversification for households.

Highlights

Ethiopia is the homeland of various crops due to its diverse and suitable agro-ecological zones
The diversified farming system remains a source of income, risk reduction strategy, and means to improve the livelihoods of households in northwestern Ethiopia
Our results revealed that the majority of smallholder farmers (92%) has a crop diversification index of above 0.5, and the average crop diversification index was 0.769 implying high levels of crop diversification

Summary

Introduction

Ethiopia is the homeland of various crops due to its diverse and suitable agro-ecological zones. Smallholder farmers grow multiple crops on a small piece of land both for consumption and commercial purposes in different portions of Ethiopia, including the northwestern part of the country. Crop diversification status and extent of farmers were not well understood. Low crop yields, lessening soil fertility, high environmental degradation, and augmented agricultural risks are some of the key challenges, which continue to threaten household’s food security status (Makate et al 2016). In many developing countries including Ethiopia, most smallholder farmers struggle to attain nutritional and food security and poverty alleviation through agricultural diversification (FAO 2012; Michler and Josephson 2017). Johnston et al (1995) and Mussema et al (2015) defined agricultural diversification as the way of farmers growing more than one crop on a given piece of land in any year to reduce vulnerability, marketing risks, and income and biological instability. Crop diversification plays a vital role in a farmer’s decision-making process so as to minimize the risk of agricultural production (Davis and Schirmer 1987)

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Conclusion