Vegetable Business and Smallholders’ Food Security: Empirical Findings from Northern Ethiopia

Kebede Manjur Gebru, Maggi Leung, Crelis Rammelt, Annelies Zoomers and Guus van Westen
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Kebede Manjur Gebru: Department of Human Geography and Spatial Panning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Maggi Leung: Department of Human Geography and Spatial Panning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Crelis Rammelt: Department of Human Geography and Spatial Panning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Annelies Zoomers: Department of Human Geography and Spatial Panning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Guus van Westen: Department of Human Geography and Spatial Panning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-28

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.

Keywords: food security; irrigation; non-participants; participants; Heckman two-stage model; vegetables business (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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