Abstract: Diversifying sources of income has been recognized as a crucial approach to alleviate poverty, mitigate food insecurity, and enhance the overall well-being of rural residents in Ethiopia. This review outlines the key challenges and opportunities associated with livelihood diversification in the country. The study identifies several primary constraints that hinder livelihood diversification, including inadequate infrastructure development, scarcity of arable land, limited access to credit services, gender disparities, and poor rural-urban linkages. However, it also highlights potential avenues for sustainable livelihoods through diversification, such as the promotion of sustainable land management practices, adoption of climate-resilient agricultural strategies, and the provision of training and capacity building programs. To facilitate successful livelihood diversification, the review emphasizes the urgency of investing in infrastructure development and ensuring access to credit services. Moreover, it underscores the importance of promoting gender equality to mitigate the challenges faced by women in diversifying their livelihoods. Encouraging sustainable land management practices, implementing climate-resilient agricultural strategies, and providing comprehensive training and capacity building programs are identified as critical measures to support diversification efforts in Ethiopia effectively. The review offers evidence-based policy recommendations to inform government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders on effective strategies that can enhance livelihood diversification in the country, while also ensuring inclusivity and sustainability. The significance of livelihood diversification within Ethiopia's development agenda cannot be overstated, and it is imperative for stakeholders to act in addressing the identified challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities presented by diversification. By doing so, they can contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development in the country. However, it is essential to note that further research is necessary to explore the efficacy of livelihood diversification strategies in different contexts and identify additional opportunities and challenges that may arise.
Abstract: Diversifying sources of income has been recognized as a crucial approach to alleviate poverty, mitigate food insecurity, and enhance the overall well-being of rural residents in Ethiopia. This review outlines the key challenges and opportunities associated with livelihood diversification in the country. The study identifies several primary constrai...Show More
Abstract: Participating in agribusiness value chains is significant for growth and development of an economy. Women have been noted to have low participation in agribusiness activities as compared to men because women face challenges such as inaccessibility and ownership of assets, social cultural hindrances, lower market innovativeness and versatility factors. To reduce these challenges faced by women agri-preneurs, there is need to adopt agribusiness diversification to ensure the success of agribusiness enterprises. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence the number of agribusiness lines that female agri-preneurs participate in. This study was carried out in Njoro and Molo Sub-counties in Nakuru County, Kenya between March and August 2023. A standard Poisson regression model was carried out to examine the number of agribusiness lines that female agri-preneurs have to maximize revenue and spread risks associated with post production agribusiness activities such as selling, distribution and value addition of agricultural products. The study sampled 267 female in agribusinesses, both group participants and non-participants. Data processing was done using SPSS and STATA software. The results showed that age, education level, Leadership position, size of agribusiness enterprise, time taken in the agribusiness activities and ability of the female agri-preneurs to borrow loans positively influence the number of agribusiness lines that women agri-preneurs have.
Abstract: Participating in agribusiness value chains is significant for growth and development of an economy. Women have been noted to have low participation in agribusiness activities as compared to men because women face challenges such as inaccessibility and ownership of assets, social cultural hindrances, lower market innovativeness and versatility facto...Show More