Level and Determinants of Food Security in North Wollo Zone (Amhara Region – Ethiopia)

Abstract

This paper examines the Determinants of food security in North Wollo Zone. Primary data from 335 households were collected from 16 kebeles of the zone. We used multistage sampling technique, and questionnaire and FGD were used to collect primary data. Both descriptive and econometric method of analysis were used. For econometric analysis, a logistic regression procedure was employed on household socio-economic cross-sectional data collected in 2016 (April and May). Of the fifteen variables fitted in the model; the age of household head, dependency ratio, average monthly expenditure, non-farm income, family size, distance from input market, farmland size, the number of oxen and livestock ownership were found to be significant. About 42 percent of the sample households were measured to be food insecure. Also, the incidence of food insecurity, food insecurity gap, and severity of food insecurity was 42, 14 and 7 percent respectively. These results have important policy implications for the expansion of non-farm activities and the introduction of livestock stocking programs at the household level to improve the food security status of households.