The Role of Productive Safety Net Program in Enhancing Household Food Security: the case of Debark Woreda (Published)

Article Author: Abraham Woru

Food security issues become one of the critical concern and priority area for developing countries. Having clear picture on food security status and its major challenges helps policy makers and planners to devise new policies that enhance food security. Therefore, this study discusses the role of Productive Safety Net Program in enhancing household food security the case of rural areas of Semen Gonder Zone, Debark Woreda. The two rural Kebeles have been selected agro-ecologically (One was from Kolla and one Kebeles from Dega where selected based on simple random sampling techniques). To accomplish the study, the researcher was selected 130 household using purposive sampling methods. Both qualitative and quantitative data type were employed for the study from both primary and secondary sources. The study results indicated that Productive Safety Net Program was helping beneficiaries for consumption smoothing, asset accumulation, and development of the local community. However, the Productive Safety Net Program was significantly determined by age, education level of the household head, resources (assets) in household level, infrastructure, Lack good governance, and also natural, demographic, agricultural and institutional factors. Moreover, the study also revealed that the practice of Productive Safety Net Program was challenged by a lack of monitoring and evaluation of structures, low quota, low payment and limited awareness of beneficiaries. The coping strategies pursued by rural households in selected Kebele includes; Selling of fire wood, Migration, Daily wage labor, Handicrafts, Consumption responses, Church aid (giving cash/food) and Begging. Therefore, this study suggests that to assure the positive role of Productive Safety Net Program, culture of savings and accumulation of assets, engagement of beneficiary households in diversified asset building livelihood strategies, targeting and minimizing wrong inclusion and exclusion should be improved.