Abstract:
Food security situation in Ethiopia is highly linked to severe, recurring food shortage and famine,
which is associated with recurrent drought. Currently, there is a growing consensus that food
insecurity and poverty problems are closely related in the Ethiopian context. Poverty and food
insecurity are quite pervasive in the Amhara Region where more than 27% of the national
population lives. For example, recurrent drought, limited sources of alternative income,
population pressure, limitations of improved technologies, lack of product diversification and
market integration, limited capacity in planning and implementation, environmental degradation
and limited access to credit and other incentives were some of the frequently reported reasons for
food insecurity in North Showa Zone in particular and Amhara Region in general. This
necessitates Debre Berhan University to initiate and prepare research and development roadmap
that clearly address the potentials, adaptations and mitigation strategies and interventions which
are mandatory to reverse the negative impacts of food insecurity in North Showa Zone. To
enhance the livelihoods of the target communities, designing and promoting appropriate
interventions based on feasibility and acceptability is of great importance. Therefore, this study
focused on assessing and documenting the major causes and potentials of food insecure districts
of North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region. In addition, the study also considered adaptations and
mitigation strategies commonly used by the local communities to increase their income
generating activities (e.g. produce goods and services) and thereby withstand the negative
impacts of food insecurity in North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The resulting
scientific information is crucial to effectively introduce, practice, and develop climate change
resilient sustainable agricultural system that is geared towards enhancing environmental stability,
food security, socio-economic development, and poverty reduction in the study sites and
elsewhere in Ethiopia.
