Impact of multipurpose cooperatives on rural women households’ food security and maize productivity: Evidence from East Hararghe, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, despite their contribution in ensuring food security and crop productivity, rural women participation in multipurpose cooperatives is generally very low. The study analyzed the impact of multipurpose cooperatives on food security and maize crop productivity among rural women households in East Hararghe. Cross-sectional data were collected from 385 participants and non-participant women in multipurpose cooperatives, using a multi-stage sampling procedure. A logistic regression was employed to identify the potential covariate variables influencing women's participation. The results indicated that access to credit, extension contact, chemical fertilizer, distance to the nearest market, and use of improved seeds had statistically significant positive effects on participation. In contrast, household age and distance to the cooperative office had statistically significant negative effects. To measure the impact of cooperative participation on household food security and maize productivity, the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique was used. Additionally, the Endogenous Switching Regression Model (ESRM) was employed to test the robustness of the results. The PSM estimation revealed that the average daily calorie intake was 3,418.11 Kcal/AE for participants and 2,659.70 Kcal/AE for non-participant women households. Moreover, the average maize productivity was 7.61 quintals for participants and 5.93 quintals for non-participant women households. These findings suggest that participation in multipurpose cooperatives significantly increased the calorie intake and maize productivity of women-headed households by 28.5% and 28.3%, respectively. Enhancing access to credit, improved seeds, and strengthening extension services are essential strategies for increasing women’s participation in multipurpose cooperatives, thereby improving food security and crop productivity in the study area.