Assessment of micro level risk factors for food insecurity and coping mechanisms in dale woreda of the sidamda zone, snnpr, Ethiopia

The main objective of this study was to assess micro level risk factors for food insecurity and identify coping mechanisms in Dale woreda. About 150 sampled households were selected for the study. The result from sampled households revealed that 38.7 and 61.3 percents were found food insecure and food secure respectively. The main risk factors for food insecurity perceived by households in study area were found to be erratic rainfall, food and input price rise, drought, shortage of income, lack of off-farm activities, land shortage, population pressure, poor saving practices, lack of credit, poor fertility of land and soil erosion. The main coping mechanisms employed by households during food insecurity in the study area were diversifying livelihood strategies, reducing diversity and frequency of meals, reducing size of meals, decreasing social event, selling of firewood and charcoal, petty trading and sale of livestock. Eating immature enset, selling and renting immature crops in the field and engaging oneself socially undermined jobs also were the other indigenous practices in the study area. Based on the regression result, household size, livestock holding, input use, input price, off-farm activities and perception of fertility of land were found to be major factors determining food security status, number of perceived risk factors for food insecurity and number of food insecurity coping mechanisms at household level in the study area.