Household Agriculture as a Determinant of Household Food Security and Child Undernutrition in Ethiopia

Abstract

This work investigates the relationship between household agricultural activities, climatic conditions, household-level food security, and child undernutrition in Ethiopia. Given the rise in the number of people experiencing hunger in recent years, much attention has been directed toward identifying factors and strategies that can help protect people from hunger and undernourishment. This study explores what household agricultural activities are associated with household food security and child nutrition. The analyses rely on household survey data from the Ethiopia Living Standards Measurement Study, gridded data on rainfall, and satellite data on the state of vegetation. Specifically, the study explores transitions in household food security status and child stunting throughout 2011-2015 relative to household agricultural activities and rainfall conditions. This work also considers the role of household cropping and livestock rearing as distinct agricultural activities for household food security and child undernutrition. The results point to a dynamic and complex relationship between household agriculture, food security, and child undernutrition. Overall, household agricultural activities have a bigger impact on household food security compared to child undernutrition. The findings also reveal different associations depending on whether survey years represented a period with normal rainfall conditions or whether there was a drought at the time of at least one survey. A complicated nature of the relationship between the agricultural variables and the outcomes in this study is indicative of the limited role enhanced agricultural activities can play to improve food security and child undernutrition. Efforts aimed at improving food security and nutrition outcomes in Ethiopia and other low-income countries should also address women’s empowerment, disease prevention, and maternal education.