Determinants of Rural Household Livelihood Diversification Strategies: The Case of Burji Zone, Southern Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71624/1r744h34Keywords:
Livelihood diversification, determinants, logit model, Burji zone, EthiopiaAbstract
This study aimed to examine the determinant factors influencing the livelihood diversification strategies of households in the Burji zone, Southern Ethiopia. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select three study villages and 353 sample respondents. Both primary and secondary data were collected, including qualitative and quantitative data. Primary data were obtained from selected sample households, focus group discussions, and key informants, while secondary data were gathered from various published and unpublished sources. Descriptive statistics, such as frequency, mean and percentages were employed to analyze the livelihood strategies practiced by the sample households whereas multinomial logit model was used to identify the determinants of livelihood diversification strategies. The results showed that the majority (42.5%) of respondents engage in agriculture-only livelihood strategies, while agriculture-plus-off-farm livelihood accounted only 34.3% in the study area. Results from the multinomial logit model indicated that marital status (married), land size, exposure to crop failure, livestock ownership, dependency ratio, remittance and access to extension services negatively and significantly affect the choice of livelihood strategies while access to irrigation, access to credit and annual income received are positively and significantly affecting the choice of livelihood strategies at household level in the area. In conclusion, the livelihood diversification in the study area is likely to improve household income s and enhance their food security. Therefore, policy and development interventions should focus on reducing or eradicating the major challenges that hinder the diversification activities.
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