Effect of malt barley cluster farming on food security in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Publication Type

Journal Article

Name of Author

• Betelhem Tsedalu Adane, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, GhanaFollow
• Irene Susan Egyir, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Ghana
• Ama Asantewah Ahene-Codjoe, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Ghana
• Taeyoon Kim, Institute of Green Bio Science and Technology, Seoul National University, South Korea

Publication Date (Issue Year)

2025

Journal Name

Scientific African

Abstract

Cluster farming is the practice of merging neighbouring farms into a unified production unit to grow specific crops collaboratively. This is a promising method to enhance food security by improving agricultural productivity through coordinated resource use and enabling access to inputs, technologies, and markets. Despite this benefit, no empirical studies have examined how malt barley cluster farming affects smallholder farmers’ food security. This study adopts descriptive and econometric analysis, including the endogenous switching regression model (ESRM) and control function approach to account for selection bias and endogeneity in estimating the causal effect of malt barley cluster farming. Cross-sectional data were collected through a household survey of 502 smallholder producer households in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. The results indicate that participation in malt barley cluster farming significantly improves household food security by increasing income through higher yields and improved market access. This enables households to purchase a more diverse foods, leading to a 15.2% increase in HDDS and a 35.1% reduction in HFIAS. However, challenges such as limited machinery access, and potential risks related to monocropping could affect the long-term sustainability of malt barley cluster farming. Thus, it is essential to implement complementary factors to encourage participation decisions in malt barley cluster farming by improving institutional services such as machinery access, credit access, and extension services, facilitating community engagement programs, and promoting cluster farming for a more diverse range of commodities in the study area

Keywords

Malt barley, Cluster farming, Endogenous switching regression model, Household diet diversity, Household food insecurity access scale

Rsif Scholar Name

Betelhem Tsedalu Adane

Rsif Scholar Nationality

Ethiopia

Cohort

Cohort 3

Thematic Area

Food security and Agribusiness

Africa Host University (AHU)

University of Ghana (UoG), Ghana

Funding Statement

This work was funded by the Partnership for the Skills in Applied Sciences and Enginering Technology /Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (PASET-RSIF) through the award of a PhD scholarship to the lead author. This study emanates from one of the objectives of the PhD thesis.

Recommended Citation

Adane, B. T., Egyir, I. S., Ahene-Codjoe, A. A., & Kim, T. (2025). Effect of malt barley cluster farming on food security in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Scientific African https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02925