Volume 37, Issue 2 p. 63-73
Articles

Growing Healthy Families: Household Production, Food Security, and Well-Being in South Wollo, Ethiopia

Anne M. Cafer,
Anne M. Cafer is with the Department of Rural Sociology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO.Search for more papers by this author
Mary S. Willis,
Mary S. Willis is with the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE.Search for more papers by this author
Shimelis Beyene,
Shimelis Beyene is with the Department of Anthropology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE.Search for more papers by this author
Martha Mamo,
Martha Mamo is with the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE.Search for more papers by this author
First published: 01 December 2015
Citations: 3
The authors include students (now at University of Missouri) and faculty from the University of Nebraska's departments of Anthropology, Nutrition & Health Sciences, and Agronomy & Horticulture. These authors have extensive research experience in the South Wollo region, and Ethiopia more generally, with primary concerns in agricultural adaptation to climate change, community health, and nutrition.

Abstract

Although many studies have focused on the socio-economic and nutritional status of Ethiopians, few have incorporated anthropometric measurements and structured questionnaires to explore the links between agriculture, development, and nutrition. Additionally, the research design included interviews with development agents, university faculty and staff, and community leaders from the Ethiopian highlands. A survey of 120 households in three districts of Ethiopia's famine belt revealed that a majority of households suffer from severe malnutrition. Anthropometric measures demonstrated that wasting and stunting rates are high. Furthermore, water usage, particularly irrigation and access to farmland, plays a significant role in crop diversity, food security, and household nutritional status. Interviews with farmers suggest there is a critical need for agricultural extension, with an emphasis on addressing gender-related issues, and research as it relates to crop and water management.