Contribution and Determinants of Urban Agriculture to Employment Creation in Bishoftu Town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

This paper attempted to look at the contribution and determinants of urban agriculture to employment creation in Ethiopia, taking Bishoftu town, as a case. To meet this objective, both secondary and primary data were collected. A sample of 42 Micro and Small Enterprises level Farms (MSEFs) and 93 household level farms (HLFs) addressed using well-structured questionnaire. To analyze the data, both descriptive and inferential techniques were applied. Moreover, Regression Model was applied for estimation purpose. The result further indicated that the sector has played instrumental roles to employment creation in various levels. Though the result indicates that both forms of urban farms contributes to employment generation, those organized by SMEFs has created more jobs (average of 5.6) than that of HLFs (average jobs created were 1.76). Moreover, The result of MLR model estimation for employment contribution by household farm indicated that, the average number of fulltime workers used by the farm was significantly influenced by those farmer respondents having the perception of a better credit and inputs access, land access and ownership, holding diploma and above educational level, better farm income and engagement in poultry and dairy farms. Therefore, it is recommended that specific policy and guidelines should be designed that ensures farmers’ access land and land ownership, market, technical assistance and inputs.