The Role Of Livestock In Poverty Reduction Among Ethiopian Households

Farm households in developing countries often face low dietary diversity and high levels of malnutrition as their diets are dominated by a few staple foods. The literature tends to focus on crop diversification to improve diets and welfare of smallholders with less emphasis on the role of livestock diversification on diet variety and quality. Based on the Ethiopian Socio-economic Survey (ESS) and using a fixed effects instrumental variable approach, the current study analyzes the welfare and dietary diversity effects associated with livestock diversification. The findings reveal that livestock diversification and income from sales of livestock and its products play a significant role in improving farm households’ welfare and dietary diversity. Besides, access to markets contributes to variety in households’ diets. Thus, strategies that promote livestock diversification and improve market access could provide a viable pathway to reduce malnutrition and poverty among Ethiopian smallholders

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