Abstract

The paper examines the status and factors affecting food insecurity of rural household in Babile Ethiopia. A two-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 150 sample households from four kebeles. Both primary and secondary methods of data collection were used. Descriptive statistics and binary logit model were used as methods of data analysis. Binary logit model identified five out of ten variables included in the model as significant factors of rural household food insecurity. Size of cultivated land, educational status of the household head, annual farm income, use of improved variety, and insect and pest infestation problem were found significant factors influencing household food insecurity. The results of econometric analysis made it clear that these factors were the major determinants of household food insecurity in the study area.

Key words: Food, factors, binary logit model, rural households, Babile district, Ethiopia.