Does Food Insecurity Exist in Rural Households of Wolayta? Evidence in Wolayta Zones, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Food self-sufficiency has received attention from many nations with various economic orientations since it has been essential to achieving food security. Others countered that maintaining food self-sufficiency might be expensive relative to the advantages, even if it should be necessary for food security. Moreover, due to extraordinary climate instability and pervasive rural poverty, food insecurity is a bigger challenge now than it has ever been. Therefore, using cross-sectional data gathered from 120 sample families, this study assesses the level of food security among households and its determinants in the Wolayta Zone in Southern Ethiopia. By comparing the total amount of calories available for consumption per adult equivalent to the 2200 kcal minimal level of subsistence required per adult equivalent, the food security status of households was ascertained. To assess the state of food security at the home level, a probit model was used. According to the study's findings, 59.65% of the sample homes in the study area experienced food insecurity. Additionally, the findings showed that the most important variables positively connected with food security were literacy, land area, irrigation water utilization, and a few others. Age, female-headed households, family size, and the dependence ratio, on the other hand, have had a negative impact on food security. The results ultimately suggest that the majority of households experience food insecurity, which can be improved with the help of institutional investors, other government and non-government stockholders, and suitable policy and strategy.