The role of coffee-based Agroforestry in improving food security through dietary diversification

This study examines how coffee-based agroforestry systems improve food security through diversified crop production in Gimbi district, West Wollega, Ethiopia — an area where 18 of 32 rural kebeles rely on the productive safety net programme. A multi-stage sampling procedure selected 402 households across six kebeles representing lowland, midland and highland zones, with data from household surveys, six focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS, 24-hour recall over 12 food groups), the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Herfindahl index for crop diversification were analysed using ordered logit, multinomial logit and OLS regression in Stata 12. Mean HDDS was 4.4 ± 1.27, with 34.33% of households in the low, 45.77% in the medium and 19.90% in the high dietary diversity category. All households consumed cereals during the recall period, followed by condiments, beans and vegetables, while animal-source intake was low (fish 3.7%, eggs 18.4%, meat 38.3%). Household head's age, education, annual income, agroforestry practices and tropical livestock units were positively and significantly associated with dietary diversity; distance to the nearest market (5.1 km on average) was negatively associated. The authors conclude that coffee-based agroforestry is a sustainable practice that enhances food availability, access and utilization, and urge policymakers to promote agroforestry through supportive policies, extension services and market access initiatives. Limitations include not assessing the specific types of agroforestry systems present and potential recall bias in self-reported dietary data.