Abstract:
Large-scale agricultural investment is expanding in western Ethiopia. However, its socioeconomic and ecological impacts on implemented area is given less attention. Hence, this
study examines the impacts of large-scale agricultural investment on socio-economics and
ecology in Sibu Sire District, western Ethiopia. Purposive sampling, Simple random
sampling and systematic random sampling were used to collect data. A total of 70
quadrats measuring 40 m × 40 m (for ecology) and 180 household (for socio-economics)
were used to collect data. Data was collected via household interview, key informants
interview and focus group discussion for socio-economics while measurement of DBH and
height of woody species collected for ecology. Descriptive analysis, chi-square, paired
sample T test and one way ANOVA were used for socio-economics data analysis while
diversity and similarity indices were used for ecological data analysis. A total of 44
woody species representing 27 families were recorded in the study area. The result
revealed that the value of diversity indices in subsistence and commercial farm site were
0.00, 3.05, 0.83 and 0.09, 2.64, 0.83 for Simpson, Shannon and Evenness respectively. The
total density was 69.38 stem/ha in subsistence and 25.63 stem/ha in commercial, total
basal area was 16.48 m2
/ha in subsistence and 14.08 m2
/ha in commercial. These findings
showed low diversity, low density, low basal area, low regeneration and low frequency in
commercial farm, indicating that investment has affected the ecological systems in the
area. Income of insider and outsider decreased; most insiders didn’t compensate for most
of resource they lost; Insider (83.3%), outsider (86.7%) and control (94.0%) confirmed
that no any social services provided by company in their area; crop and animal
production of insider and outsider decreased than control; water and agrochemical
related risks was highest in insider and none in control; scarcity of fuelwood and going
long distance to get resources were the major problems in insider and outsider as
compared to control group. These indicated that investment is affecting socio-economic of
close groups (especially, insider) than further group (control) and it is not practicing
environment friendly. Therefore, strong and continuous government intervention through
evaluation and monitoring of investment activities on ground is important to improve local
socio-economic, diversity and population structure of vegetation as well as natural
resources in general.
