Abstract
This study empirically investigates the effect of productive safety net programme (PSNP) on household food consumption and dietary diversity in Ethiopia. The study applied random effects with instrumental variable to estimate the effect of PSNP membership. The study indicates that though PSNP membership improves household food consumption, it reduces household dietary diversity score. Household food consumption and dietary diversity are also significantly influenced by sex, age, education status of household head, household size, livestock ownership, distance to the nearest market and participation in non-farm activities. The findings of this study suggest that PSNP membership should be reinforced by building household awareness of the benefits of consuming a variety of foods. In addition, PSNP membership should be designed to endow the households to accumulate essential assets, especially livestock.
Highlights
Farmers in Ethiopia are highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture and are producing in a climate related shock-prone environment
The objective of this study is to analyse the effect of PSNP on household food consumption and dietary diversity
The study applied control function approach to test the endogeneity of PSNP membership
Summary
Farmers in Ethiopia are highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture and are producing in a climate related shock-prone environment. This situation exposes them to vulnerability to food insecurity and poverty problems (Hagos et al, 2011). Despite significant increases in cereal output at the national level in recent years, Ethiopia continues to experience frequent severe food insecurity crises, which are frequently associated with drought occurrences (Lewis, 2017). This article was submitted to decades, emergency food aid was used as a response to food insecurity in Ethiopia. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems food aid saved lives of vulnerable families. The program often failed to protect livelihoods, which became a growing source of concern for Ethiopia (ESSP, 2014). Roughly 73% of Ethiopia’s smallholders, who are primarily food producers, are net food consumers, putting them at Received: 24 May 2021 Accepted: 07 February 2022
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