The Impact of Small Scale Irrigation on Household Food Security ...

Chamber (1994) based on some empiricalstudies confirms that reliable and adequateirrigation increases employment, i.e., Landlesslaborers as well as small and marginal farmershave more work on more days<strong>of</strong> the year, which ultimately contributes to foodsecurity. A study conducted in 10 Indian villagesin different agro-climatic regions shows thatincreasing irrigation by 40 percent was equallyeffective in reducing poverty (reducing foodinsecurity) as providing a pair <strong>of</strong> bullocks,increasing educational level and increasing wagerates (Singh et al., 1996). Kumar (2003) alsostated that irrigation has significantlycontributed to boosting India's food productionand creating grain surpluses used as droughtbuffer. A study by Hussain et al. (2004)confirms that access to reliable irrigation watercan enable farmers to adopt new technologiesand intensify cultivation, leading to increasedproductivity, overall higher production, andgreater returns from farming. This in turn opensup new employment opportunities; both on farmand <strong>of</strong>f-farm, and can improve incomes,livelihood, and the quality <strong>of</strong> life in rural areas.<strong>The</strong> same study identified five key dimensions<strong>of</strong> how access to good irrigation watercontributes to socioeconomic uplift <strong>of</strong> ruralcommunities. <strong>The</strong>se are production, income andconsumption, employment, food security, andother social impacts contributing to overallimproved welfare.According to a study carried out on fiveirrigation schemes in Zimbabwe, the schemeswere found to act as sources <strong>of</strong> food security forthe participants and the surrounding communitythrough increased productivity, stableproduction and incomes (Mudima, 1998). <strong>The</strong>same study reported that farmers participating inirrigation schemes never run out <strong>of</strong> food unliketheir counterparts that depend on rain-fedagriculture.Ngigi (2002) disclosed that in Kenya for the twodecades agricultural production has not beenable to keep pace with the increasing population.To address this challenge the biggest potentialfor increasing agricultural production lies in thedevelopment <strong>of</strong> irrigation. According to thesame study, irrigation can assist in agriculturaldiversification, enhance food self sufficiency,increase rural incomes, generate foreignexchange and provide employment opportunitywhen and where water is a constraint. Nigigiconcluded that the major contributions <strong>of</strong>irrigation to the national economy are foodsecurity, employment creation, and improvedforeign exchange earning.A study by IFAD (2005) states that in Ethiopia,the construction <strong>of</strong> small-scale irrigationschemes has resulted in increased production,income and diet diversification in the Oromiaand Southern Nation and Nationalities People(SNNP) regions. According to this study, thecash generated from selling vegetables and otherproduce is commonly used to buy food to coverthe household food demand during the fooddeficit months. <strong>The</strong> same study further addedthat during an interview conducted with somefarmers, it was disclosed that the hungry monthsreduced from 6 to 2 months (July and August)because <strong>of</strong> the use <strong>of</strong> small scale irrigation.Moreover, the increase in diversity <strong>of</strong> cropsacross the schemes and the shift from cereallivestocksystem to cereal-vegetable-livestocksystem is starting to improve the diversity <strong>of</strong>household nutrition through making vegetablespart <strong>of</strong> the daily diet. A study conducted byWoldeab (2003) also identified that in Tigrayregion irrigated agriculture has benefited somehouseholds by providing an opportunity toincrease agricultural production through doublecropping and by taking advantage <strong>of</strong> moderntechnologies and high yielding crops that calledfor intensive farming.However, these studies were descriptive thananalytical in that they did not formally accountfor/ isolate the possible contribution <strong>of</strong> otherconfounding variables such hashousehold/village characteristics, and otherpolicies and interventions that might have aswell contributed to the food security statusdifferences between irrigators and non-irrigators.Moreover, the empirical works in this area arevery scant in Ethiopia in particular and in Africain general. Thus, the study aims to contribute tothe small scale irrigation-food security literatureand to provide policy conclusions and180