Transforming dairy production and marketing: An essential step in ensuring food and nutritional security among smallholder farmers in rural Ethiopia

Smallholder commercialization is considered as the pathway for household food security in many agriculture dependent economies. To study this link, we have conducted a household survey and observational study on food consumption patterns, household and intra-household dietary diversity and nutritional status in 164 dairy farm households in Ethiopia. Using the FAO dietary diversity questionnaire, all food items consumed by the husband, the wife, an adult boy, an adult girl and a child under five (when available) was recorded. The study reveals that milk market participant households have high level of dairy production, household income, dietary diversity and nutritional status of young children. On one hand, the study indicate that there is no significant difference between market participant and non-participant households on animal source food consumption in general and milk consumption in particular, despite the significant milk production difference. On the other hand, it indicates a positive relationship between household milk market participation, household and intra-household dietary diversity and child nutritional status. We argue that housheold milk market participation has a potential to improve housheold food and nutritional security in Ethiopia.