Abstract Objective This study examined demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional determinants of livelihood diversification among rural households in Nole Kaba Woreda, western Ethiopia, with a focus on resilience and food security outcomes. Method A household survey of 204 respondents was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Key variables included family size, dependency ratio, gender, age, education, landholding, market distance, credit access, cooperative membership, and vulnerability status. Odds ratios, confidence intervals, and Wald statistics were used to assess significance. Results Larger households were over three times more likely to adopt farm + off-farm (AOR = 3.23, p < 0.01) and farm + non-farm strategies (AOR = 3.29, p < 0.01), while fully integrated pathways showed the strongest effect (AOR = 4.45, p < 0.05). Higher dependency ratios similarly increased diversification odds (AOR = 2.69, p < 0.001). Education exerted a transformative role, with educated heads 22 times more likely to pursue integrated strategies (AOR = 22.29). Landholding size positively influenced diversification (AOR = 7.02, p < 0.001), whereas distance to markets reduced adoption by 40–55% (AOR = 0.44–0.62, p < 0.001). Lack of credit access lowered diversification odds by up to 78% (AOR = 0.22, p < 0.001). Gender and age disparities were evident: female-headed households had 41% lower odds (AOR = 0.59, p < 0.05), and older heads were significantly less likely to diversify (AOR = 0.14, p < 0.01). Conclusion Diversification emerges as both a demographic necessity and an adaptive response to vulnerability, enhancing food security (73.7% secure among fully diversified households). Policy interventions should prioritize education, credit, market connectivity, and gender equity to strengthen resilience and reduce rural poverty.
Negasa et al. (Wed,) studied this question.