Socio-economic and ecological impacts of large scale agricultural investment. In the case of Sibu Sire district, Oromia, Ethiopia.

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.