Journal de l'économie mondiale

Determinant factors of Food security among Households in Northern Ethiopia: An Application of Binary Logistic Regression Model

Abstract

Amare Wubishet Ayele

Food security is a situation of having, at all times, both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet dietary needs for a productive and healthy life. Food security is presently a critical social issue that needs immediate attention from policymakers and other decision-makers. This study aimed to identify the determinant factors of food security of households in East Gojjam zone. A cross-sectional study design was conducted, and the study units were selected using a systematic random sampling technique through a multistage cluster sampling technique. The multivariable binary logistic regression model was employed to identify the determinant factors of food security among households. Among the households considered in this study, about 25.6% were found to be food secure. Food security was significantly associated with the source of access to energy, landholding size in a hectare, the loan from financial institutions, practice of irrigation, tropical livestock unit (TLU) (livestock possession), slope of agricultural land, and district at 5% level of significance in the study area. A low proportion of food security among households was observed and important determinant factors of food security have been explicitly identified. Therefore, the stockholders concerned, particularly the agricultural office, should intervene to promote food security among households through the expansion of irrigation systems to increase agricultural yields; and the practice of agroforestry (cohesive livestock and agricultural products) should be implemented in community. Initiatives for nutrition education in the community should be implemented to increase the use of foods, so that people are conscious of the variety of foods their bodies need to maintain good health.