Coffee-Ensete-Livestock interaction for sustainable livelihood in the Sidama area of southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The coffee growing areas of Sidama, the midlands, are one of the densely populated areas in Ethiopia, with a population density of 500 persons per arable land. Coffee serves as the major cash source to the farm household, which expends the cash to its different uses one of which is asset formation through the purchase of livestock. Livestock of different type are reared with small herd size in the area. The population pressure brought land to be the most limiting production constraint. Due to its limitation the available land is mainly allocated to the major staple food of the area, Ensete (Ensete ventricosum). This plant is everything to the farmer: food, feed, construction material etc. The food use of Ensete is very significant, because it supports large population size, however it is deficient in fat, protein and energy. Ensete covers the larger share of the feed use and it is a good feed sources because the feed part is rich in protein. This paper tried to address how the major enterprises of the system coffee, ensete and livestock can be intensified so as to ensure sustainable livelihood in the farming system.