(Un)sustainability of rural household food security in Kurfa Chele Woreda, East Hararghe zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study examined the status and sustainability of food security. It investigated the socio-economic, demographic, institutional and environmental determinants of the un/sustainability of rural household food security in Kurfa Chele woreda of East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia. The study employed descriptive and extensive survey research designs. Furthermore, a combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches and a cross-sectional study was applied, and data were collected from 255 rural farm households using multistage sampling techniques. The collected data were analysed using descriptive (frequency, mean, percentage, SD) and inferential (t-test, one-way ANOVA, chi-square, correlation, logistic regression) statistics. Moreover, the food security status was analysed using three harmonised food security indicators (HFBM, MAHFP and HDDS). The findings suggest that about 76.5% of the sample households are regarded as food insecure, based on HFBM (Kcal), while about 80.4% and 83.1% of respondents seem to be food insecure, based on MAHFP and HDDS thresholds, respectively. The overall incidence of food insecurity was 76.47% while the depth of food insecurity (using HFBM and FGT and expressed as the average percentage increase in calories required to meet the minimum recommended daily requirement) was 22.7%. Besides, the findings implied that food security is not sustainable in the study area as each of the three parametric methods revealed that more than three-quarters of the sampled households have been food insecure. The result of the logistic regression model showed that household size (OR = .318), age of the household heads (OR = 1.122), educational status (OR = 5.959), livestock (OR = 1.558), access to irrigation water (OR = 7.937), drought (OR = .160), per capita off-farm income (OR = 1.000), dietary diversity (OR = 2.207), production diversity (OR = 1.653) and farmland size (OR = 9.441) are identified as the determining factors significantly influencing the un/sustainability of rural farm household food security status. Furthermore, the findings indicated that drought (unreliable rainfall), poor soil fertility, inability to produce sufficient grains, shortage of farmland, poor farming technology, large household size, poor access to infrastructure, lack of access to credit, and lack of training and skills are among the environmental, economic, socio-demographic, and institutional factors perceived to cause food shortages and to influence the un/sustainability of food security in the rural farm households. Limiting the size of meals, reducing the frequency of meals eaten per day, eating less preferred and less expensive food, and selling more livestock to buy food were among the most common coping strategies, while the adaptation strategies identified by rural farm households to cope with food shortages included income and livelihood diversification, crop diversification, cultivation of marginal land, and fattening of livestock, among others. Therefore, the study calls for coordinated efforts among stakeholders and effective fast-tracking of established policies, focusing on rural households’ asset building, diversifying livelihoods, and increasing food supply aimed at achieving sustainable food security among rural farm households.

Lolu cwaningo luhlola isimo kanye nenqubekela phambili yokuvikeleka kokutholakala kokudla. Ikakhulukazi luphenyisise ngesimo sabantu kwezenhlalo nomnotho, izinto ezinomthelela kwizikhungo kanye nesimo sendalo ngokusweleka nenqubekela phambili yokuvikeleka ngokutholakala kokudla emizini eKurfa Chele woreda kwiZoni yeMpumalanga Hararghe, e-Itopiya. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise i-descriptive ne-extensive survey designs. Nangaphezu kwalokho, inhlanganisela ye-quantitative ne-qualitative research approach kanye ne-cross-sectional study yasetshenziswa, kanti ulwazi luqokelelwe ukusukela emizini yamapulazi yasemakhaya ngokusebenzisa ithekniki ye-multistage sampling. Ulwazi oluqokekelwe luhlaziywe ngokusebenzisa i-descriptive (frequency, mean, percentage, SD) kanye ne-inferential (t-test, one-way ANOVA, chi-square, correlation, logistic regression statistics. Kanti futhi okunye, isimo sokuvikeleka ngokutholakala kokudla kuhlaziywe ngokusebenzisa i-three harmonised food security indicators (HFBM, MAHFP and HDDS). Okutholwe wucwaningo kuphakamisa ukuthi cishe u 76-6% wemizi ibonwa ingenakuvikeleka ngokutholakala kokudla, ngokulandela i-HFBM (Kcal), kanti u 80.4% no 83.1% wabaphendula kucwaningo babonakala bengenakuvikeleka ngokutholakala kokudla ngokulandela i-MAHFP ne-HDDS thresholds, ngokulandelelana. Ukwenaba kokwenzeka kokungavileleki ngokutholakala kokudla kube ngu 76.47% kanti ukujula kokungavikeleki ngokutholakala kokudla (ngokusebenzisa i-HFBM okukhonjiswa nge-average yamaphesente kunyukile ngama-calorie edingekayo ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zansuku zonke kube ngu 22.7%. Nangaphandle kwalokho, okutholakele ngocwaningo kukhombisa ukuthi ukuvikeleka ngokutholakala kokudla akuqhubekeli phambili kumkhakha ebekwenziwa kuwo ucwaningo ngoba ama-parametric method amathathu akhombisa ukuthi isibalo esingaphezulu kwamakota amathathu sesampuli yemizi ayinakho ukuvikeleka ngokutholakala kokudla. Imiphumela ye-logistic regression model ikhombise usayizi wemizi (OR = .318), unyaka wezinhloko zemizi (OR = 1.122), isimo ngokwemfundo (OR = 5.959), imfuyo (OR = 1.558), ukufinyelela amanzi okunisela (OR = 7.937), isomiso (OR = .160), i-per capita off-farm income (OR = 1.000), ukwehluka kwedayethi (OR = 2.207), ukwehluka kokukhiqiza (OR = 1.653) usayizi womhlaba wepulazi (OR = 9.441) kubonwa njengezinto ezinomthelela kwisimo sokusweleka nokuba khona kwenqubekelaphambili yokuvikeleka kokutholakala kokudla ezindaweni zemisi yamapulazi zasemakhaya. Kanti futhi okunye, okutholakele ngocwaningo kukhombise ukuthi isomiso (izimvula ezingani kahle), umhlabathi onganonile, ukungakwazi ukutshala kahle ukolo, ukuswelakala komhlaba wamapulazi, itheknoloji engenhle yokulima, imizi enabantu abaningi, ukungafinyeleli kahle kwizingqalazizinda, ukuswelakala kwezimalimboleko, kanye nokuswela uqeqesho namakhono ngezinye zezinto kwezesimo sendalo, esomnotho kanye nenhlalisano yabantu, kanye nezinto eziphathelene nezikhungo kubonakala kuyimbangela yokuswelakala kokudla kanye nokuba nomthelela ekuswelakaleni nobukhona benqubekela phambili yokuvikeleka ngokutholakala kokudla emizini yezindawo zamapulazi zasemakhaya. Ukuphungula usayizi wokudla, ukuphungula izikhathi zokuhlinzeka ngokudla ngosuku, ukuya ngokudla kancane kancane, nokudla ukudla okungabizi, kanye nokuthengisa imfuyo ukwenzela ukuthenga ukudla ngezinye zamasu avamile okubhekana nesimo, kanti amasu okuhambisana nesimo abonwe yimizi yamapulazi asemakhaya ukubhekana nokuswelakala kokudla kubandakanye ukwehlukanisa ingeniso kanye nezindlela zokuziphilisa, ukutshala izitshalo ezihlukahlukene, ukulima emihlabeni esemaceleni, kanye nokunonisa imfuyo, ngeznye zamasu. Ngakho-ke, ucwaningo lumemezela ukuhlanganisa imizamo phakathi kwababambiqhaza kanye nokusheshisisa imigomo ekhona, ukugxila kakhulu kwimizi yezindawo zasemakhaya, ukwakha impahla, ukuhlukanisa izindlela zokuziphilisa kanye nokwandisa ukusaplaywa kokudla ekufinyeleleni inqubekelaphambili yokuvikeleka kokutholakala kokudla emizini yezindawo zamapulazi zasemakhaya.

Lesifundvolucwaningo sicwaninga simo kanye nekusimama kwekubakhona kwekudla. Ikakhulu, sicubungule tenhlalomnotfo, tilawuli tebunyenti bebantfu, tetetikhungo netesimondzawo (tekunga/teku) simama kwekubakhona kwekudla emakhaya lasetindzaweni tasemaphandleni eKurfa Chele woreda eMphumalanga neSigozi saseHararghe, e-Ethiopia. Lesifundvolucwaningo sisebentise emadizayini elucwaningo lweluhlayo lolubanti naloluchazako. Sachubeka, sasebentisa tichamukelo telucwaningo lwelinani nelizingasimo Kanye nesifundvolucwaningo lesigabence, kantsi idatha igcogcwe emakhaya lasetindzaweni tasemaphandleni emapulazini lange-255 ngekusebentisa emasu emasamphuli etigaba letinyenti. Ledatha leyagcogcwa yahlatiywa ngekusebentisa kuchaza (i-frequency, i-mean, emaphesenti, i-SD) kanye lubalobalo lwekusho ngaphambili ngekubuka idatha (t-test, i-one-way ANOVA, i-chi-square, kuhambisana, luhlatiyo lwekusho ngaphambili). Ngetulu kaloko, kwahlatiywa simo sekubakhona kwekudla ngekusebentisa tinkhomba leihlanganisiwe tekubakhona kwekudla (i-HFBM, i-MAHFP ne-HDDS). Lokutfoliwe kukhomba kutsi alinganiselwa ku-76.5% emasamphuli emakhaya atsatseka njengemakhaya lete kudla, ngekubuka i-HFBM (Kcal), bese kutsi lalinganiselwa ku-80.4% na-83.1% yalabo labaphendvulile bakhombisa kubete kudla, ngekubuka emazinga e-MAHFP ne-HDDS, ngekulandzelana. Sehlakalo sekungabi nekudla sesisonkhe besinge-76.47% kantsi kujula kwekungabikhona kwekudla (ngekusebentisa i-HFBM lokuchazwe ngemaphesenti laku-avareji ekkwenyuka kwemakhalori ladzingekile kute ahlangabetane nesidzingo selinaniphasi lelinconywako malanga onkhe) belinge-22.7%. Ngaphandle kwaloko, lolokutfoliwe kukhombe kubakhona kwekudla akusimami kulendzawo lokwentiwe kuyo lesifundvolucwaningo njengaloku leyo naleyo ndlela yepharamethriki kutotintsatfu tivetile kutsi angetulu kwemakota lamatsatfu emakhaya lokwentiwe ngawo emasamphuli ete kudla. Umphumela wemodeli ye-logistic regression ukhombise kutsi isayizi yelikhaya (OR = .318), budzala betinhloko temakhaya (OR = 1.122), simo setemfundvo (OR = 5.959), imfuyo (OR = 1.558), kufinyelela kutfola emanti ekunisela (OR = 7.937), somiso (OR = .160), ngekwemalingena lengaveli epulazini (OR = 1.000), kwehluka kwekudla (OR = 2.207), kwehluka kwekukhicita (OR = 1.653) kanye nesayizi yemhlaba wekulima (OR = 9.441) abonakale njengemaphuzu ladlala indzima ekubeni nemtselela lomkhulu (ekunga/eku)simameni kwesimo sekubakhona kwekudla emakhaya lasetindzaweni tasemaphandleni emapulazini. Kwengeta kuloko, lolokutfoliwe kukhombise kutsi somiso (imvula lengakatsembeki), kunganotsi kwemhlaba, kungakhoni kukhicita lokusanhlavu lokwanele, kweswelakala kwemhlaba wekulima, buchwepheshe bekulima lobungekho ezingeni, emakhaya lanemalunga emndeni lamanyenti, kungafinyeleli kahle kusakhiwonchanti, kungakhoni kufunyelela kutfola sikweleti, Kanye nekungabikhona kwekuceceshwa kanye nemakhono asemkhatsini wemaphzu etesimondzawo, etemnotfo, tenhlalo yebantfu, kanye newetikhungo labonakala ayimbangela yekweswelakala kwekudla kanye nekuba nemtselela (ekunga/eku)simameni kwesimo sekubakhona kwekudla emakhaya lasetindzaweni tasemaphandleni emapulazini. Kunciphisa bungako bekudla, kunciphisa kudla emahlandla ekudla kudla ngelilanga, kudla kudla longakutsandzi nalokungabiti kakhulu kanye nekutsengisa imfuyo kakhulu kute kutsengwe kudla ngulamanye emasubuciko latayelekile ekubukana nesimo, bese kutsi emasubuciko ekutetayeta lentiwa ngemakhaya lasetidzaweni tasemaphandleni emapulazini ekubukana nesimo sekweswelakala kwekudla afaka ekhatsi imalingena kanye nekwehlukahlukana kwendlela yekutiphilisa, kwehlukahlukana kwesilimo, kulinywa kwemhlaba longalimeki, kanye nekunoniswa kwemfuyo, emkhatsini walokunye. Ngako-ke, lesifundvolucwaningo siphakamisa kutsi kube nemitamo lehlanganisiwe emkhatsini walabo labatsintsekako kanye nekuchubekisela embili ngekushesha nangemphumelelo kusungulwa kwetinchubomgomo, kugcilwe ekwakheni imphahla yemakhaya lasetindzaweni letisemaphandleni, kwehlukaniswe tindlela tekutiphilisa kanye nekwandzisa kuphakelwa kwekudla lokuhloswe ngako kutsi kufesekiswe kubakhona kwekudla lokusimememe emakhaya lasetindzaweni tasemaphandleni emapulazini.