RESUMEN
Ethiopia, despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, is consistently cited as one of the most vulnerable countries, not only in Sub-Saharan Africa regions but also globally, to climate variability and change. The country's farming households are most vulnerable because of their climate-sensitive livelihoods and limited resources to finance adaptation measures. This study aimed to assess the livelihood vulnerability of communities reliant on a mixed crop-livestock agricultural system and natural resources in the Central Rift Valley sub-basin of Ethiopia to climate variability and change. Structured interviews were used to collect quantitative data from 339 randomly selected households. Livelihood Vulnerability Index was developed to assess the degree of livelihood vulnerability between the two districts. The survey results were supported and substantiated by focus group discussions. The findings show that farm households living in the sub-basin experience different levels of vulnerability to climate variability and change because of their varying adaptive capacities. Considering the aggregate Livelihood Vulnerability Index, Arsi Negele district is considered to be more vulnerable to climate variability and change. The livelihood Vulnerability Index-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change results also show that Arsi Negele is more vulnerable since its exposure scores exceed its adaptive capacity. Several factors contribute to the weak adaptive capacity of farmers in Arsi Negele. These factors include lesser adoption of agricultural technology, a low level of knowledge and education, insufficient social networks, less diversification of livelihood strategies, and higher socio-demographic vulnerability. In contrast, Adami Tullu Jido Kombolcha district has a higher sensitivity score due to its limited access to potable water, housing, and land ownership. Strategies that minimize households' degree of sensitivity and enhance their adaptive capacity should be promoted. Such strategies should include the adoption of improved agricultural technologies, strengthening awareness and technical capacity, promoting better soil and water management, accessing credit options, and building community networks. Diversifying household income and establishing alternative livelihoods should also be encouraged.
RESUMEN
The traditional rain-fed agriculture system of Ethiopia is suffering from climate change impacts and extremes. It must be improved to feed the growing population and create a resilient society. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is currently promoted as an approach intended to increase sustainable agricultural productivity, enhance household resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study was, therefore, undertaken to examine how food security can be improved by the adoption of multiple climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices of smallholder farmers in a moist tropical montane ecosystem of Southwest Ethiopia. Data was collected from 384 purposively selected households through cross-sectional study design using a semi-structured questionnaire. Eight Focus group discussions and fifteen key informant interviews were also conducted to check the reliability of the survey data collected. In the study area, a total of eighteen CSA practices, adopted by farmers, were identified. Using principal component analysis, these practices were further grouped into five packages and a multinomial endogenous switching regression model was used to link these packages to the food security status. The findings revealed a great variation in the proportion of households using CSA practices where 92.3 % were using crop management practices whereas 11.2 % were using soil and water conservation practices. The study found that the maximum effect of CSA adoption on food security was by farmers who adopted all the five category CSA technologies. Households that adopted this package were more food secure by 41.2 % in terms of per capita annual food expenditure, 39.8% in terms of Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), and 12.1% in terms of Household Food Consumption Score (HFCS) than the non-adopters. The adoption of this group of practices was further influenced positively by farm size, gender, and productive farm asset values. Using CSA practices in combinations and to a relatively larger extent can potentially solve food security problems. Motivating farmers by providing income-generating activities and discouraging land fragmentation through public education is essential. This in turn improves CSA adoption and initiates production assets investment that can absorb climate change risks.