Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to assess the food security status of rural Households (HHs)
and their coping strategies in Menz mama medir Woreda of North Shewa . Mixed approach of
qualitative and quantitative study was used for conducting the study. The main data gathering
tools employed in the study were questionnaires, interview, FDG and observation. The data were
analyzed using frequency tables and percentage. HHs food security status was reckoned using
Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). The study revealed that while majority of the
respondents (83.7%) of HH were food insecurity, only 16.3% HHs were food secured in the study
area. The study shows HHs food insecurity problem is mainly attributed to low land tenure (69%)
climate change and crop dieses (33%), lack of skills and technology (46%), drought and frost
(36% and 65% respectively).This in turn has an impact in rural household‟s food insecurity. It
was also found that most food insecure households have various coping strategies to withstand
food stress such as Decrease food intake, consumed less items of food, consumed lower quality of
food, borrowed money, sales assets or livestock and sending children to foreign countries. Thus,
the government interventions are highly required to address these problems.
