One of the key questions in food policy debates in the last decades has been the role of cash cropping for achieving food security in low income countries. We revisit this question in the context of smallholder coffee production in Ethiopia. Using unique data collected by the authors on about 1,600 coffee farmers in the country, we find that coffee income improves food security, even after controlling for total income and other factors and after addressing the endogeneity of coffee income. Further analysis suggests that the pathway for achieving this improved food security is linked to being better able to smooth consumption across agricultural seasons. In contrast with food crops, coffee sales take place almost throughout the whole year, providing farmers with cash income also during the lean season.

Coffee is Ethiopia’s most important export commodity, cultivated by over 6 million smallholder farmers in the country, and accounting for about one-third of the country’s commodity exports. While coffee production has increased over the last decade, coffee yields are low and several constraints to improved productivity remain. With two-three decades old and low-yielding coffee trees in particular, the sector cannot attain its full potential. In this paper, we assess the short-term impact of a coffee tree rejuvenation training program in Sidama on adoption rate and intensity of stumping – currently the best practice to revitalize ageing coffee trees and substantially improve their productivity. Using baseline and follow-up data and a difference-in-difference approach, we find that the adoption rate and intensity of stumping has increased by about threefold during the first year of the rejuvenation training intervention.

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2019 im Fachbereich Agrarwissenschaften, Wollega University, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: This paper reviews that the impacts of climate change on coffee production and potential adaptation measures in coffee sub-sector in Ethiopia. Accordingly, Ethiopian coffee industry is potentially at risk due to the negative impact of climate change on suitability of coffee production. Climate change been severely affecting the national income of the country in general and the livelihoods of poor smallholders in particular via undermining coffee yield and quality. Furthermore, several studies predicted that will continue to impact coffee production in the future. Accordingly, a policy measure that enforces and promotes irrigation, mulching, pruning, tree shade management, drought, pests and diseases resistant high yield improved coffee variety development for coffee production is paramount ISBN: 9783346111074