Resilience to Food Insecurity in Ethiopia: New Insights from Enset Crop Study

Strategic Insights -

Investigations into food security in Ethiopia, where climate shocks and droughts frequently threaten rural livelihoods, have highlighted the critical importance of resilience. Researchers from Addis Ababa University have published a significant study on the role of Enset (Ensete ventricosum), a drought-tolerant crop, in enhancing household resilience in Central Ethiopia. The study analyzed panel data from 270 households across three survey waves, using a resilience index measurement and analysis (RIMA) framework to estimate the resilience capacity index (RCI). The findings demonstrate a 25% greater resilience among Enset-producing households compared to non-producers, attributed to advantages in assets, access to basic services, and adaptive capacity. Dynamic analysis revealed that 75.3% of producers recovered from food insecurity by reducing the Coping Strategies Index (rCSI) between year t + 1 and year t + 2, whereas 49.6% of non-producers did. The study concludes that Enset cultivation enhances household resilience, but dependence on external aid negatively affects long-term resilience.

Key Takeaways:

  • Enset-producing households presented a 25% greater resilience compared to non-producers, showcasing advantages in assets, access to basic services, and adaptive capacity.
  • Dynamic analysis revealed that 75.3% of producers recovered from food insecurity by reducing the Coping Strategies Index (rCSI) between year t + 1 and year t + 2, whereas 49.6% of non-producers did.
  • Enset cultivation was found to significantly enhance household resilience through improved income diversification, financial stability, and food security.
  • Dependence on external aid negatively affects long-term resilience.
  • Policy recommendations include promoting Enset cultivation, improving rural infrastructure, and implementing shock-responsive social protection systems.

Statistics:

  • 270 households participated across three survey waves (2018/19, 2021/22, 2023/24).
  • Enset-producing households showed a 25% greater resilience.
  • 75.3% of Enset-producing households recovered from food insecurity by reducing the Coping Strategies Index (rCSI) between year t + 1 and year t + 2.
  • 49.6% of non-Enset-producing households recovered from food insecurity by reducing the Coping Strategies Index (rCSI) between year t + 1 and year t + 2.
  • Enset-producing households reported a food consumption score (FCS) of 0.864, while non-producers reported a score of 0.46.
  • Adaptation capacity (AC) was significantly higher in Enset-producing households (12.149) compared to non-producers.

Sources:

  • Dynamics of resilience to food insecurity among Enset producing and non-producing households in central Ethiopia: insight from panel data. Agriculture & Food Security, 2025,14(1):1-24.
  • (Agriculture & Food Security - http://agricultureandfoodsecurity.biomedcentral.com)
  • BMC. (Agriculture & Food Security publisher)