scholarly journals Understanding Livelihood Diversification Patterns among Smallholder Farm Households in Southern Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tagesse A. Melketo ◽  
Endrias Geta ◽  
Stefan Sieber
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cash Income ◽  
Livelihood Diversification ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Smallholder Farm

Smallholder farm households face an increasing need of looking for alternative income sources to supplement their small scale on-farm incomes. However, livelihood diversification is a complex phenomenon and it involves different forms. This study, therefore, delves to realize the patterns of livelihood diversification strategies adopted by the smallholder farmers at Kembata-Tembaro zone, Southern Ethiopia. The study was based on cross-sectional survey data from 384 farm households that were selected through a combination of three-stages: cluster, simple random, and proportional to the size of population sampling techniques. A mix of instruments including interview- schedule, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and field observations were used to acquire primary data. Descriptive statistics in combination with multidimensional approaches involving cluster analysis were used to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative data were analyzed using word descriptions and verbatim discussions. It was found that the diversification patterns of the smallholder farm households in the study area took different forms involving alteration of land use patterns, intensification of crops and livestock productions, and non/off-farm activities. Superiority order of livelihood strategies in terms of the average annual cash income obtained by the households was set. Accordingly, commercial crop stands first followed by livestock rearing and subsistence crop production as second and third, respectively. It was suggested that livelihood diversification can only be a viable strategy to achieve sustainable rural livelihoods if the farmers are capacitated so that they can choose the right remunerative livelihood strategy among the existing options.

scholarly journals Conservational tree growing by smallholder farm households: evidence from Gamo highlands of Southern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malebo Mancha Massa ◽  
Abdulaziz Mosa
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Cash Income ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Smallholder Farm ◽  
Entry Points

AbstractDeforestation and environmental degradation were identified among the leading factors worsening risk exposure in developing countries. Conservational tree growing was found a permissible option and an awake up policy direction to curve down the problem in Ethiopia. However, the uptake of this practice is far from complete and the art has not been made to a level that could make households self-reliant at least in tree resources, particularly in the highlands. The objective of this study was to identify the decisive factors that influence conservational tree growing behavior of smallholder farm households in Gamo highlands of Southern Ethiopia. The study was based on survey data collected from 11 villages in 2011/2012. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 335 farm households. Structured interview questionnaires and observations were used to collect primary data. Descriptive and inferential statistics and logistic regression model were used to analyze the data. The key findings showed that a host of factors significantly influenced smallholders’ decision to practice conservational tree growing. The study found that tree growing experience, farm size, and availability of suitable land area for tree growing and cash income from sales of trees were the significant factors explaining the variation in conservational tree growing behavior of households. We also observed old-aged trees in traditionally protected areas. Among others, funeral and mystical sites host large number of long-lived indigenous tree species than private farms in Gamo highlands of southern Ethiopia. Based on the findings, the study concluded that intra-farmer experience sharing, and support to efficient indigenous institutions and rural tree markets as potential entry points for mitigating deforestation and developing environmentally sustainable agriculture.

scholarly journals Conservational Tree Growing by Smallholder Farm Households: Evidence from Gamo Highlands of Southern Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malebo Mancha Massa ◽  
Abdulaziz Abdulsemed Mosa
Keyword(s):  
Household Head ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Cash Income ◽  
Smallholder Farm ◽  
Entry Points

Abstract Background: Deforestation and environmental degradation were identified among the leading factors worsening risk exposure in developing countries. Conservational tree growing was found a permissible option and an awake up policy direction to curve down the problem in Ethiopia. However, the uptake of this practice is far from complete and the art has not been made to a level that could make households self-reliant at least in tree resources, particularly in the highlands. This study was aimed at identifying the main decisive factors that potentially influence conservational tree growing behavior of smallholder farm households in Gamo highlands of Southern Ethiopia.Methods: The study was based on survey data collected from 11 villages in 2011/2012. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 335 farm households. A structured interview schedule and observation were used to collect primary data. Descriptive and inferential statistics and Logistic regression model were used to analyze the data.Results: The key findings showed that a host of factors significantly influenced smallholders’ decision to practice conservational tree growing. The study found that tree growing experience, age of the household head, farm size, and availability of suitable land area for tree growing and cash income from sales of trees were the significant factors explaining the variation in conservational tree growing behavior of households. The study also observed that indigenous social and cultural organizations and religious and old-aged funeral sites were the homes for old-aged but live indigenous tree species than private farms.Conclusion: Based on the findings, the study concluded that intra-farmer experience sharing, and support to efficient indigenous institutions and rural tree markets as potential entry points for mitigating deforestation, improving forestry, and developing environmentally sustainable agriculture.

scholarly journals Empirical Analysis of the Factors that Affecting Maize Production of Farmers among Smallholders: The Case of Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-145
Author(s):  
Murad Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Potential Yield ◽  
Maize Crop ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Smallholder Farm

In Ethiopia, maize is the second largest in production areas and first in its productivity but there are high yield gaps between the actual yield currently producing and the potential yield. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify factors that affecting maize production of smallholder farmers at the farm level in the Meta district in the east Hararge zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. A two-stage random sampling technique was employed and a total of 200 smallholder farmers were randomly and proportionally selected to collect primary data. Multiple linear regression models were used to analysis factors that affect maize production among smallholder farmers. The result showed that the production of maize was influenced by several factors. The coefficient provided that as the farmers obtained 1 dollar from non-farm activity, the maize production of farmers increased by 293.2 kg, keeping other factors constant. Thus, the farmers who had money from non-farm sources used as additional income to gain agricultural inputs for maize production and thus generate more maize quantity. The result was pointed out that the size of the cultivated areas of land had a positive influence on the quantity of maize production of farmers. The coefficient entailed that as the size of the cultivated areas of land increased by one hectare, the farmer’s quantity of maize production increased by 140.4 kg by keeping other factors constant. The result was also indicated that other factors being constant, the maize crop production of smallholder farmers of Meta district was decreased by 4 kg as Development Agent’s (DA’s) office distance increased by one minute. The possible explanation was that extension services were a critical source of information on agronomic practices. Therefore, policy makers should encourage the current maize production and supplying improved seed and chemical fertilizer which support to improve smallholder farm households’ welfare by increasing their sources of income.

scholarly journals Agricultural Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 246
Author(s):  
Markose Chekol Zewdie ◽  
Michele Moretti ◽  
Daregot Berihun Tenessa ◽  
Zemen Ayalew Ayele ◽  
Jan Nyssen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Approach ◽  
Small Scale Irrigation

In the past decade, to improve crop production and productivity, Ethiopia has embarked on an ambitious irrigation farming expansion program and has introduced new large- and small-scale irrigation initiatives. However, in Ethiopia, poverty remains a challenge, and crop productivity per unit area of land is very low. Literature on the technical efficiency (TE) of large-scale and small-scale irrigation user farmers as compared to the non-user farmers in Ethiopia is also limited. Investigating smallholder farmers’ TE level and its principal determinants is very important to increase crop production and productivity and to improve smallholder farmers’ livelihood and food security. Using 1026 household-level cross-section data, this study adopts a technology flexible stochastic frontier approach to examine agricultural TE of large-scale irrigation users, small-scale irrigation users and non-user farmers in Ethiopia. The results indicate that, due to poor extension services and old-style agronomic practices, the mean TE of farmers is very low (44.33%), implying that there is a wider room for increasing crop production in the study areas through increasing the TE of smallholder farmers without additional investment in novel agricultural technologies. Results also show that large-scale irrigation user farmers (21.05%) are less technically efficient than small-scale irrigation user farmers (60.29%). However, improving irrigation infrastructure shifts the frontier up and has a positive impact on smallholder farmers’ output.

scholarly journals What Explains Gender Gaps in Household Food Security? Evidence from Maize Farm Households in Southern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Girma Gezimu Gebre ◽  
Hiroshi Isoda ◽  
Yuichiro Amekawa ◽  
Dil Bahadur Rahut ◽  
Hisako Nomura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Gender Gaps ◽  
Joint Decision ◽  
Household Food

AbstractUsing primary data collected from 560 farm households in Dawuro zone, southern Ethiopia, this study analyzes the gender gaps in food security among male, female, and joint decision-making farm households. It examines the factors inducing gender gaps among the households of those three categories. The results show that female decision-making households have a lower probability of ensuring food-security and a higher probability of being transitionally and chronically food-insecure. Joint decision-making households showed a higher probability of falling into the chronically food-insecure category. The decomposition results show significant gender gaps between male and female decision-making households in terms of food-secure, transitory food-insecure, and chronically food-insecure categories. Overall, both the endowment and return effects account for the gaps; however, the magnitude of the effect from the return is higher than from the endowment on significant gaps in the food-secure, transitory, and chronically food-insecure categories. Hence, there is a need for policies that not only ensure equal levels of productive resources but also help households build their capacity in order to improve both transitory and chronically food insecure situations.

scholarly journals Is Cut-Flower Industry Promotion by the Government Negatively Affecting Pollinator Biodiversity and Environmental/Human Health in Uganda?

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-52
Author(s):  
Bin Mushambanyi Théodore Munyuli
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Toxicological Studies ◽  
The Government ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The Impact

A study was conducted from 2010 to 2012 around the flower growing areas in central Uganda to generate baseline information on the status of pollinators. Primary data were gathered using a questionnaire that aimed at determining farmers and flower farm officials’ perceptions on the impact of activities carried out inside greenhouses on pollinators, human health, and on crop production in the surroundings. Results indicated that the quantity of pesticides and fertilizers applied daily varied among the different flower farms visited. Bee species richness and abundance varied significantly (P<0.01) according to flower farm location, to the landscape vegetation type, and to field types found in the surrounding of flower farms. Bee richness found around flower farms varied in number from 20 to 40 species in total across seasons and years. Bee density increased significantly with the increase in flower density. Small-scale farmers were aware of the value and importance of pollination services in their farming business. There was no clear evidence of a direct effect of agrochemicals application on bee communities living in the surrounding habitats. There is a need for further research to be conducted on human health risks and for toxicological studies on soils, plants, flowers, and bees in the farm landscape.

scholarly journals Smallholder farmers’ climate change adaptation practices contribute to crop production efficiency in Southern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dessalegn Anshiso Sedebo ◽  
Gu‐Cheng Li ◽  
Kidane Assefa Abebe ◽  
Bekele Gebisa Etea ◽  
John Kojo Ahiapka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Adaptation Practices

scholarly journals Determinants of Common Bean (Phaseolus Vulagris L.) Marketed Surplus Among Smallholder Farmers in Humbo and Damot Gale Woredas, Southern Ethiopia

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Besufekad Belayneh ◽  
Tewodros Tefera ◽  
Thomas Lemma
Keyword(s):  
Common Bean ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Multi Stage

This research was aimed to study the common bean (Phaseolus vulagris L.) marketed surplus among smallholder farmers in the Humbo and Damot Gale Woredas. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in order to determine the sample respondents. By using simple random sampling technique four sample Kebeles were selected. Cross sectional data were collected from 182 farm households who produced common bean in 2016 production season. Primary data were collected from sample households using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and econometric model were employed to analyze the data. To identify determinants of marketed surplus of common bean, Ordinary Least Square (OLS) model was employed. The study suggest interventions such as intensification strategies which increase yields through proper management and use of inputs, rural infrastructure improvement increases the likelihood of market orientation and marketed surplus of common bean.

scholarly journals “Now we’ve all turned to Eating Processed Foods”: A Photovoice Study of the Food and Nutrition Security Implications of ‘Galamsey’ in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong ◽  
Aaron Kobina Christian ◽  
John Ganle ◽  
Richmond Aryeetey
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Processed Foods ◽  
Mining Communities ◽  
Food And Nutrition

Abstract Small-scale mining, referred to as galamsey in Ghana, is an important source of income for many rural populations. Although concerns have been raised in the media about the significant threats galamsey poses to the environment, health, and livelihoods, there is a representational paucity of evidence regarding its links with local food systems, particularly from the perspective of affected mining communities. The current study explored community perceptions and experiences of galamsey and its perceived effects on food security and livelihoods in the East Akyem Municipality in the Eastern region of Ghana. Primary data was collected using photovoice, photo exhibition, and interviews. Results show that galamsey has Resulted in degradation of, otherwise, fertile agricultural land, and contamination of freshwater sources. This has resulted in reduced cultivable land, reduced crop production, shortage of essential staple foods, increases in food prices, and increased consumption of ultra-processed foods. There is also perception of increased exposure to heavy metals like mercury in locally produced food. Given the adverse health consequences of both food/nutrition insecurity, and increased consumption of processed foods, it is important that public and policy discussions to minimize the effects of galamsey in Ghana should include considerations about food and nutrition insecurity in mining communities.

scholarly journals Determinants of Market Outlet Choices by Smallholder Chickpea Farmers in Estie District Amhara Region, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chernet Worku Erkie ◽  
Marlign Adugna ◽  
Essa Chanie
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Joint Probability ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Multivariate Probit ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Cash Income ◽  
Multivariate Probit Model ◽  
Market Channel

Abstract In Ethiopia, chickpea is an important plus crop, particularly in Estie district. It is a source of food and provides cash income for majority of smallholder farmers. To commercialize chickpea producers, selecting an appropriate market channel is mandatory. However, selecting an appropriate market channel is not an easy task because there are different factors that affect market outlet choices in the district. Hence, this study aimed to identify factors that affecting chickpea market outlet choices. Both primary & secondary sources of data were used. A two-stage random sampling procedure was used and a total of 122 smallholder farmers were randomly and proportionally selected to collect primary data. Multivariate probit model was employed to identify factors affecting chickpea market outlet choices. The result shows that five major chickpea marketing channels were identified and among them wholesalers and retailers purchased about (61.84%) and (18.2%) respectively. The estimation result of multivariate probit model showed that the likelihood of sampled households to select collectors, consumers, retailers and wholesalers were 25.3%, 35.4%, 30.5% and 36%, respectively. The joint probability of success and failure to select all market outlets was 0.01537% and 13.4% respectively. It also indicated that sex of household, education status, family size, off-farm income, access to credit; lagged price and distance to market significantly affected the market channel choice decision of producers. Based on the findings, Government and concerned stakeholders need to focus more on enhancing accessibility of infrastructures facilities, strengthening credit access and improving yield through extension service to accelerate selecting appropriate market channel.

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