The contribution of agriculture to household dietary diversity: evidence from smallholders in East Hararghe, Ethiopia

This study explores the impact of agriculture production on food consumption amongst rural households in Babille district, East Hararghe, Ethiopia. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to analyse information on production, consumption and income in two consecutive seasons. Diets in the area are dominated by cereals, while consumption of high-value foods such as meat, eggs, fruits, vitamin A-rich vegetables and dark green leafy vegetables was found to be extremely limited, indicating a risk of nutrient deficiencies. Food consumption was assessed in terms of dietary diversity and frequency of consumption, expressed in terms of the household Food Consumption Score (FCS). Important differences were found between households in the same area, and between pre-harvest and post-harvest seasons. Households with adequate food consumption tended to produce greater numbers of crops, own more livestock and earn more cash income compared to households in lower food consumption categories. Nutritionally important foods such as groundnut, eggs and fruit tend to be sold via local markets, and production of a particular food type was no guarantee that household would consume that food. Households depend heavily on the market to supplement their own food production, with most household expenditure going towards the purchase of cereals. Regression analysis indicated that food consumption is positively associated with agriculture output, but also with other factors such as size of landholding and farm income. The paper concludes with recommendations for improving the dietary outcomes for farm households in developing areas such as Babille, including a reconsideration of the balance between consumption and sale of agricultural outputs, and the need for more, and better targeted, agricultural support services.