The descriptive statistics result shows that agricultural activities are the most important source of income for rural households in Fedis District contributing 77% of total household income with the remaining 23% originating from nonagricultural activities. The livelihood of most people in Ethiopia depends on subsistence agriculture whose carrying capacity has decreased due to rapid population growth rate and farm size reduction. The results also indicated that the joint likelihood of using all adaptation strategies was only 1.5% and the joint likelihood of failure to adopt all of the adaptation strategies was 3.5%. By KEMERIA BARSENGA KEDIR Submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements For the degree of MASTER IN HUMAN ECOLOGY At the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: F.T TABIT May, 2015 This study identified rural household livelihood strategies and their determinants in the Assosa district of BGRS, western Ethiopia. As to the method of data analysis, the study employed descriptive statistics and inferential statistics along with the binary logit model. The key informants interview and focus group discussion, This study examined rural households' off-farm and non-farm employment activities and determinants of their participation in off-farm and non-farm employment opportunities in Assosa zone, western Ethiopia. Block and Webb (2001) in food policy address the issue of the dynamics of livelihood diversification in Ethiopia using ratio of per capita income derived from crops to all other sources as a measure of livelihood diversification for the years 1989 and 1994. Livelihood diversification is a strategy that can boost farmers’ income and promote sustainable land management practices. The overall result indicates that the rural labor market contributes significantly to income growth, consumption expenditure and poverty reduction among smallholder farmers. Livelihood diversification is a strategy to avoid the risk associated with shocks and to improve livelihood security. Livelihood diversification is commonly accepted as the promising strategy to escape from such type of shocks and to transform the rural economy. Even if our country Ethiopia practice agriculture for livelihood to be able to recover from “stress and shocks” but also to be able to “maintain and enhance” capabilities and assets into the future. Descriptive statistics result pointed out that about 66.7% of rural households combined on-farm activities with non-farm and/or off-farm activities, whereas about 33.3% were relying only on on-farm activities to achieve their livelihood goal(s). Since sustainable livelihood framework was developed the co-existence of livelihood strategies and livelihood outcome (food security in this case) has been a critical discussion for the past two decade. Paper III. in Ethiopia. Primary data were collected from a randomly selected 140 sample households through interview and focus group discussions. Capability to engage in multiple sources of income declines with the increase in age [9]. Participation into off, of Agricultural Research 2015;10(19):1998, Appendix table 1: Parameter estimates of the multino, ***, ** and * significant at 1%, 5% and 10% prob. The results of the model pointed out that the likelihood of households to adopt irrigation, improved varieties of crops, adjustment of planting date, crop diversification and soil conservation practices were 52.3%, 45.8%, 49.5%, 46.9% and 34.1%, respectively. Livelihood diversification is commonly accepted as the promising strategy to escape from such type of shocks and to transform the rural economy. in Ethiopia, rural livelihood diversification strategies in Ethiopia, and livelihood diversification strategies. The study employed Participatory Rural Appraisal and survey methods. However, econometric analysis of determinants of rural household's choice of livelihood strategies in Ethiopia has received little attention. In Ethiopia, farm households engage and pursue diverse off-farm and non-farm livelihood activities to cope with diverse challenges such as drought. This finding is in line, their income rather than using a combination of on, is consistent with the findings of Adugna and Waga, experiences. relying farm alone as a livelihood strategy. Livelihood strategies are at the centre of human livelihoods. For the poorest, who have the least capacity to effectively manage risk, diversification may be a response to constraints imposed upon them by increasing climate risk. This research was therefore proposed with the aim of generating location specific data on livelihood strategies and its determinants in Borena … Government policies need to designed and implemented comprehensive strategies in order to keep non-farm household food security. This study aimed at investigating the livelihood strategies practiced by rural households, and analyzing determinants of rural household’s choice of livelihoo, predominant sources of livelihood for the majority of the population in the area (, Peasant Associations (PAs) in the district, 2.3. Thus, researchers, governmental and non-governmental institutions should pay attention beyond the farm's activities to strengthen the off-farm and non-farm activities to improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers. Livelihood diversification is defined as the process by which rural families construct a diverse portfolio of activities and social support capabilities in order to survive and to improve their standards of living. Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. However, these farmers could not easily participate in diversified activities. Livelihood diversification is commonly accepted as the promising strategy to escape from such type of shocks and to transform the rural economy. Primary data were collected from a randomly selected 140 sample households through interview and focus group discussions. To effect self development of the community, support to local cooperatives may have positive effects on the income generating capacity. Damite and Negatu (2004) explored the determinants of rural livelihood diversification in southern Ethiopia. Multinomial logit model was used to pinpoint factors influencing households’ participation in non/off-farm activities while the determinants of non/off-farm income were analyzed by Tobit model. In Ethiopia, farm households engage and pursue diverse off-farm and non-farm livelihood activities to cope with diverse challenges such as drought. Ample studies conducted about livelihood diversification in rural Ethiopia were limited to … This paper analyzes the livelihood of the Borana pastoral communities of Southern Oromiya in Ethiopia. Multivariate probit model was estimated to identify the factors determining households' choice of adaptation strategies to climate change. A Master of Arts Thesis in Development Studies. The paper’s objectives are first, to increase awareness of livelihood diversification in Therefore, future policy should focus on awareness creation on livelihood diversification through different sources such as training and extension on off-farm and non-farm opportunities and on the role of participating in cooperatives, facilitating the availability of credit and fertilizer, enhancing elder farmers' knowledge, etc. Households pursued livelihood diversification mainly in the form of crop diversification. The determinants and effects of diversification in the areas of poverty, income distribution, farm output and gender are examined. Of erosion, education level, off-farm employment, and thus they get into diversified venture.. 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