HOMEGARDEN AGROBIODIVERSITY PRACTICES AND THEIR IMPACTS ON SMALLHOLDER HOUSEHOLDS’ FOOD SECURITY: THE CASE OF YAYA GULELE WOREDA, NORTH CENTRAL ETHIOPIA.

Homegarden agrobiodiversity practices are well developed and highly appreciated for the agroecosystem sustainability and socio-economic contributions to small holder farmers in Africa particularly in Ethiopia. There are a number of studies, which have been analyzed the homegarden agrobiodiversityin Africa as well as in Ethiopia.However, a comprehensive scientific study on the homegarden practices, its contribution to the economic and livelihood of the people were not done.Therefore, this study was conducted at Yaya Gulele Woreda, North Shoa Zone of Oromia Regional State with the aim of analyzing homegarden agrobiodiversity practices and their impacts on households’ food security. A total of 384 households were selected randomly using lottery system.Data collection method such as questionnaire, focus group discussion and interview were used to collect econometric data.Descriptive statistics, formulas, and econometric model were used in data analysis.Propensity score matching was used to analyze the impact of homegarden practicing on households’ food security.Ethnobotanical data were collected from each homegarden from which subplot systematically selected and stratified based on the plant type such as trees, shrubs and herbs.A total of 97 plants species were recorded from 192 selected homegardens, which belongs into 40 Family and 82Genera among which 56(57.73%) were herbs, 19(19.59%)were shrubs, and 22(22.68%) were trees. These plant species are used by the households as fodder, food, traditional medicinal plants, generating income, and maintaining ecosystem service. The study result indicates that among 384 households, 274(71.35) food secure and 110(28.65%) were food insecure. Among274(71.35) food securehouseholds, 148(38.54%) were practicing the homegarden and 126(32.81%) were not practicing homegarden. This study using logit model indicates that a number of factors inhibit households’ participation in homegarden agrobiodiversity, which is also affects households’ food security. These includes sex of households head, age of households’ head, family size, homegarden size, access of credit service, distance from water source, frequency of developmental agents’ contacts, distance from nearest market as well as occurrence of disease and pests. Compared to the past years, the status of homegarden agrobiodiversity decreased at the study area due to climate variability, lack of water, pests and disease and lack of awareness. Considering the significant contribution of the homegarden agrobiodiversity practice in the study area, the local agricultural activities and the communities need to give more attention to improve the food and nutritional security at the family level and consider as one of the climate smart agricultural practices.