The Challenges and Opportunities of Urban Expansion for Peri Urban Farming Practices and Farm Households: The Case of Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

First and foremost, I sincerely thank the almighty God for His blessings, strength, and unwavering love throughout my academic journey, from the beginning up to this doctoral level. I owe all my success to His kindness and faithfulness, which have enabled me to prosper and flourish in all my academic pursuits. Next, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my main advisor, Prof. Tegegne Gebre-Egziabher, for providing me with constructive feedback and dedicated guidance throughout the course of this dissertation. Without his willingness to impart his knowledge and experience, I would not have been able to complete the dissertation. I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to my co-advisor Dr. Belaynesh Kebede, whose insight into the subject matter and invaluable support as part of the co-advisor helped me to successfully take the dissertation to this level. Furthermore, I would to express my deepest thanks to the respondents who participated in my surveys. These include farm households, local authorities, and development experts who generously gave their time and allowed me to visit their fields. Without their valuable contribution, this dissertation would not have been possible. Besides, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the University of Gondar for their financial support in completing this work. I must express my special thanks to my wife, Birtukan Wodajo, for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study, research process, and dissertation writing. My heartfelt gratitude also goes to my lovely kids, Kearaj, Amen, and Kaku, who have made me stronger, better and more fulfilled than I could have ever imagined. I promise to devote myself to your lives and education. Additionally, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to my niece, Genet, for helping with household chores. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues, including Dr. Girma, Dr. Kenate, Mr. Ebisa, Mr. Hagos, Mr. Bereket, and others who supported me morallythroughout this very intense project