This review is primarily centred on the causes, status, determinants, and coping mechanism of food insecurity in Ethiopia. Recent studies in Ethiopia shows that, 13% of the rural population (approximately 9.7 million people) were food insecure, 2.7 million children under 5 age were acutely malnourished in 2016. At the outset of 2017, the government of Ethiopia estimated as 5.6 million people would require emergency food aid. Climate-related shocks (drought, erratic and limited rainfall), land degradation, population growth, stagnant technology (poor farming technologies) and shortage of farmland deteriorated food security. Sixty four (64%) of the reviewed studies pointed out that, the majority of households were food insecure in the country.  Factors like land holding, livestock holding, and off-farm activities, education of the household head, household income, and household size, adoption of yield enhancing technologies, access to irrigation, rainfall shock, and soil fertility status significantly determined the food security of the households. Family planning, effecting sustainable agricultural systems and conservation of soil and water resources for better productivity, income diversification activities and practical based youth education should be looked at.

Key Words: Food insecurity, food security, household, Ethiopia

DOI: https://ejesm.org/doi/v12i5.2