THE IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON FOOD INSECURITY IN AMHARA REGIONAL STATE METROPOLITAN CITIES: MONITORING AGRICULTURAL FOODSTUFF PRODUCTION AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE
THE IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON FOOD INSECURITY IN AMHARA REGIONAL STATE METROPOLITAN CITIES: MONITORING AGRICULTURAL FOODSTUFF PRODUCTION AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE

Summary/Abstract: The process of urbanization in developing nations is attended without fast industrialization processes. As a result of this, the urbanization and urban process are accompanied by diverse problems. Hence this paper is aimed at identifying the effect of urbanization on citizens’ food insecurity by monitoring agricultural foodstuff production as a mediating variable. A quantitative research methodology or approach has been used to depict out urban problems associated with unmanaged urbanization in the Ethiopian, particularly in Amhara regional state. Structural Equation Modelling was employed to run a mediation analysis by decomposing the direct and indirect effects of one variable on the other. Correlation and regression analyses were executed to measure the direction and magnitude of the effect of the independent variable on the dependent. Regression analysis results indicated the existence of a significant direct effect of urbanization on food insecurity of citizens. The mediation analysis result shows agricultural foodstuff production doesn’t play a mediating role between urbanization and food insecurity. The paper, having traced out the effect of the urbanization on food insecurity, provides possible recommendations. The regional government should be very considerate about the pace of unmanaged, unindustrialized and unemployment induced urbanization. The regional government should address all pushing factors that are dragging farmers into the urban areas. So, it is important to find ways to make farmers beneficial from their farm activities. In this regard, the problem raised by farmers is the inability to settle the debt from fertilizers and improved seeds or at least what they get from selling what they have produced is used to settle their farm debt. Some policy measures such as subsidizing the farmer or extending the repayment period of their debt are then essential to help farmers lead a stable life and lead their families. The government/concerned body need to make a cost-benefit analysis by weighing the pressure from the migration of the farmers and the cost of subsidizing the farmers: compare prevention with curative. Moreover, as a short-term solution, the regional government should identify food unsecured urban households and embrace them in food security packages like urban safety-net programs. And enhancing the limited income generation capacity of food insecure households.

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