Abstract

In Ethiopia, there have been increased efforts to promote market-oriented vegetable production. Given that food security is a crucial issue in Ethiopia, the question is whether market-oriented vegetable production will actually help farmers to become more food secure. Using a mixed methods approach, the present research gathered empirical evidence on the determinants of participation in the vegetable business and its food security impacts in the Raya Azebo district. The Heckman two-stage selection model was used to identify factors affecting participation in the vegetable business and its effects on several food security outcomes. A thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. The results show that a farmer’s participation in the vegetable business increased significantly with adequate household productive resources (e.g., land size and access to irrigation), cooperative memberships and access to extension services. On the other hand, the age of the head of household, the market distance and risk perceptions significantly decreased participation. Additionally, the results indicate participation in the vegetable business results not only in higher food availability and access but also in lower food variety and diet diversity scores. Participation has less of an impact on per capita kilocalorie consumption and child anthropometric measures of food security. The policy implication is that, while Ethiopia is going ahead with inclusive market-driven approaches to food security, alternative mechanisms must be put in place to address the negative impacts and to empower those living in the most vulnerable conditions.

Highlights

  • IntroductionEthiopia is one of the world’s most food insecure countries: it ranks 174th out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index [2,3,4]

  • Food security has been a top priority and global concern for decades [1]

  • The marginal effect of land size indicated that as the size of land increases by one hectare from its mean value; the chance of inclusion in the vegetable business increases by 11 percentage points, as land is among the basic productive resources for cash cropping

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Summary

Introduction

Ethiopia is one of the world’s most food insecure countries: it ranks 174th out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index [2,3,4] To address this problem, the Ethiopian government has been promoting various privateand state-led agricultural commercialization strategies [5].Private-led commercialization often operates in areas that are rich in resources and is mainly concerned with linking smallholder farmers to markets. State-led market orientation strategies are aimed at creating enabling conditions to facilitate smallholder market orientation in areas where private firms are virtually absent In recent decades, these efforts in the drought-prone lowland areas have been in the form of investing in large-scale irrigation projects, modernizing the agricultural sector and incentivizing smallholder farmers to enter the cash crop business [7,8,9,10]. Areas that received irrigation infrastructures have become centres for market-oriented vegetable development [11]

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