SMALLHOLDERS’ RISK BEHAVIOR, VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES TO CROP FARMING RISKS IN WEST SHAWA ZONE, OROMIYA, ETHIOPIA

The study assesses the risk behavior, perceived vulnerability and adaptation behavior of farm households and the determinants using an integrative insight of the social-ecological system model and semi-quantitative research methodology. Besides, RSSH theory, integrative vulnerability analysis theory, and SMMA were applied to explain the farm households’ risk behavior, perceived vulnerability and adaptation behavior respectively. Survey data collected from the randomly selected 393 sample households in West Shewa zone, Ethiopia, were analyzed using SEM regression for risk behavior, PCA and ordered probit model for perceived vulnerability, and CFA, bivariate probit regression and recursive bivariate regression for adaptation behavior. Results of the risk behavior measurement model shows farm households have high behavioral intention of employing the available on-farm risk management strategies. Results of the determinants of farm households’ risk behavior show that risk perception is significantly determined the perceived risk attitude and the intended risk behavior. Result of the farm households’ perceived vulnerability measurement model show that the percentage of highly vulnerable, moderately vulnerable and less vulnerable sample farm households is 12.98%, 73.54% and 13.49% respectively. Results of the determinants of perceived vulnerability level estimation show that farming experience, education, livestock owned, farm size, on-farm diversification, access to credit, access to small-scale irrigation, non-farming income, extension contact, and social capital are significantly determined the perceived vulnerability level. Result of the adaptation behavior measurement model show that farm households have high behavioral intention of adapting the available integrative on-farm adaptation strategies. Results of the determinants of farm households’ adaptation behavior estimation model show that livestock owned, farmland fertility, on-farm diversification, non-farming income activities, extension contact, social capital and proactive adaptation strategy are significantly determined the intended adaptation strategy. These calls for government and/or non-government interventions focusing on enhancing the farm households’ risk bearing capacities in the short run and building farm households’ adaptive capacities in the long-run.