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Livelihood strategies, capital assets, and food security in rural Southwest Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Aisa O. Manlosa

    (Leuphana University Lueneburg)

  • Jan Hanspach

    (Leuphana University Lueneburg)

  • Jannik Schultner

    (Leuphana University Lueneburg)

  • Ine Dorresteijn

    (Utrecht University)

  • Joern Fischer

    (Leuphana University Lueneburg)

Abstract

Households combine capital assets in a process involving human agency and resourcefulness to construct livelihood strategies and generate well-being outcomes. Here, we (1) characterized types of livelihood strategies; (2) determined how different capital assets are associated with different livelihood strategies; and (3) determined how livelihood strategies differed in food security outcomes. We conducted a survey in southwestern Ethiopia and used principal component and cluster analyses. Five types of livelihood strategies, which differed mainly in food and cash crops comprising the strategy, were identified. These were, in order of decreasing food security: ‘three food crops, coffee and khat’, n = 68; ‘three food crops and khat’, n = 59; ‘two food crops, coffee and khat’, n = 78; ‘two food crops and khat’, n = 88; and ‘one food crop, coffee and khat’, n = 44. The livelihood strategy ‘three food crops, coffee and khat’ was associated with a wide range of capital assets, particularly having larger aggregate farm field size and learning from other farmers. A generalized linear model showed that livelihood strategies were significantly associated with food security outcomes. Particularly, a high number of food crops in a strategy was linked with relatively high food security. In this context, diversified livelihood strategies primarily through having a mix of food crops for subsistence, in combination with cash crops for income, are important for food security. This suggests a need to rethink dominant policy narratives, which have a narrow focus on increasing productivity and commercialization as the primary pathway to food security.

Suggested Citation

  • Aisa O. Manlosa & Jan Hanspach & Jannik Schultner & Ine Dorresteijn & Joern Fischer, 2019. "Livelihood strategies, capital assets, and food security in rural Southwest Ethiopia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(1), pages 167-181, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:11:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s12571-018-00883-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-018-00883-x
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    15. Brück, Maria & Abson, David J. & Fischer, Joern & Schultner, Jannik, 2022. "Broadening the scope of ecosystem services research: Disaggregation as a powerful concept for sustainable natural resource management," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    16. Rong Wang & Jinlong Wang & Wenhao Chen, 2023. "The Coordinated Development of Ecosystem Services and Farming Household Livelihood Security: A Case Study of the Dongting Lake Area in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-18, July.
    17. Schultner, Jannik & Dorresteijn, Ine & Manlosa, Aisa O. & von Wehrden, Henrik & Hylander, Kristoffer & Senbeta, Feyera & Fischer, Joern, 2021. "Ecosystem services from forest and farmland: Present and past access separates beneficiaries in rural Ethiopia," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    18. Fan, Shengyue & He, Miao & Zhang, Tianyu & Huo, Yajing & Fan, Di, 2022. "Credibility measurement as a tool for conserving nature: Chinese herders’ livelihood capitals and payment for grassland ecosystem services," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    19. Tola Gemechu Ango & Kristoffer Hylander & Lowe Börjeson, 2020. "Processes of Forest Cover Change since 1958 in the Coffee-Producing Areas of Southwest Ethiopia," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-29, August.

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