Universität zu Köln

Megersa, Bekele, Markemann, Andre, Angassa, Ayana ORCID: 0000-0002-6763-3959 and Zarate, Anne Valle (2014). The role of livestock diversification in ensuring household food security under a changing climate in Borana, Ethiopia. Food Secur., 6 (1). S. 15 - 29. NEW YORK: SPRINGER. ISSN 1876-4525

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

While food insecurity is a growing concern across the developing nations, accentuated by climate variability and change, it could be even worse for pastoralists given their unpredictable exposure to climate risks. The Borana herders experience food insecurity as a result of recurring droughts causing huge losses of cattle, and are thus increasingly shifting from cattle pastoralism to multi-species herding. The present study examines the role of livestock diversification in combating household food insecurity using herders' perceptions, a modified household food insecurity access scale (mHFIAS) and dietary diversity score. Herders perceived child growth, adult height and body condition to be decreasing as a result of declining milk production and changing dietary trends. Results also revealed a high level of seasonal food insecurity and low dietary diversity with the majority (81 %) consuming one to three food groups. Livestock diversification was a major factor affecting household food security. Households practising diversification had significantly fewer months of food deficit (2.3 vs. 3.8), lower mHFIAS (5.5 vs. 8.7) and a higher average off-take in the form of livestock sales (7.4 vs. 4.0) than non-diversified ones. Diversification improved dietary intake of specific food groups and the average number of meals consumed per day. While fruits, eggs and fish are not part of the Borana diet, a large number of respondents consumed no vegetables (93 %) or meat (96 %), potentiating the risk of micronutrient deficiencies. This study highlights the particular significance of livestock diversification, among other socio-demographic factors, in attaining food security under a changing climate in the study area.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Megersa, Bekele UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Markemann, Andre UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Angassa, Ayana UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-6763-3959 UNSPECIFIED Zarate, Anne Valle UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-446176
DOI:	10.1007/s12571-013-0314-4
Journal or Publication Title:	Food Secur.
Volume:	6
Number:	1
Page Range:	S. 15 - 29
Date:	2014
Publisher:	SPRINGER
Place of Publication:	NEW YORK
ISSN:	1876-4525
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language CATTLE POPULATION-DYNAMICS; DIETARY DIVERSITY; NUTRITIONAL-STATUS; INSECURITY; RANGELANDS; PASTORALISTS; PERCEPTIONS; PERFORMANCE; DISTRICT; SYSTEM Multiple languages Food Science & Technology Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/44617