Abstract:
The general objective of this study was to examine the determinants food insecurity status of rural
households’ and Copping Strategies in Bensa Woreda, Sidama Zone of South Ethiopia. For this
study a total of 151 households' from 3 kebeles were selected by using simple random sampling
technique to represent the whole woreda to covered by the questionnaire survey and the
questionnaire both closed and open-ended questions covered issues related to households'
demographic and socio-economic characteristics. For this both primary and secondary data were
used. Questionnaire survey, key informants interview, focus group discussions and direct
observation were employed to collect the primary data. Both qualitative and quantitative methods
were used for data analysis and the later included descriptive statistics and regression modeling.
The survey results showed that the majority 95(62.9%) of the sampled households' experienced
food insecurity based on HFIAS and FCS at different level. The low level of productivity of food
insecure households' were related with mainly low farm land size of HHs was 0.26-0.5 hectares
which could be one of the factors for poor production, problem even if they were used agricultural
inputs and received extension servicesdue to weakness on the behalf of stakeholders an
implementation, evaluation and collaborationof extension services workers, high family size,
unable to use modern irrigation system, etc. Logit model regression results showed that five
variables were found to have a significant impact on determining the status of food insecurity at
less than 10 percent of the probability level. These variables include Literacy status of household
head (EDuc), family size (FSIZE), household participation on extension packages (EXTPACK),
size of cultivated land (CLAND) and Livestock possession (TLU). On the basis of the main
empirical findings of the study, the following recommendation were forwarded to enhance
household food security in the study area:, promotion and effective resettlement programs improve
the provision of credit facilities, encourage extension programs, expanding family planning
programs,, increasing crop productivity and diversifying income sources have been recommended
to the government bodies, donors and households' themselves to ensure household food security.
