African Environmental Geography (Environmental/Earth Science) | 16 January 2009
Social Safety Nets and Their Impact on Food Security and Economic Empowerment in Ethiopian Rural Communities: An Intervention Study
Y, a, r, e, d, D, e, s, t, a, ,, M, u, l, u, g, e, t, a, A, s, f, a, w, ,, K, e, t, e, m, a, A, b, e, r, a
Abstract
Social safety nets have been implemented in Ethiopia to address food insecurity and poverty among rural communities. The study employed mixed-methods research including quantitative data from surveys and qualitative insights from interviews to assess changes in household consumption indexes over a two-year period. A significant increase in household food security was observed, with an average improvement of 15% across surveyed households compared to baseline levels. Qualitative analysis revealed enhanced community resilience strategies as key drivers of economic empowerment. Social safety nets have been effective in mitigating short-term food insecurity but require complementary policies for sustained long-term economic development. Further interventions should focus on diversifying livelihoods and strengthening local markets to foster sustainable economic growth. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.