“Do Our Bodies Know Their Ways?” Villagization, Food Insecurity, and Ill-Being in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley

A comparative analysis of food security and well-being in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley reveals stark discrepancies between quantitative survey data and qualitative ethnographic findings. While surveys suggest better household food access in newly established villagization sites than in non-villagized communities, long-term ethnographic research indicates that villagers rely heavily on food aid due to inadequate irrigated plot allocations, leading to widespread indignity, bodily discomfort, and social disconnection. This tension challenges dominant narratives of development, exposing how state-led resettlement policies may perpetuate impoverishment while claiming progress. The study underscores the limitations of methodologically divergent data in capturing complex socio-economic realities.

Stevenson, E. G. J., & Buffavand, L. (2018). “Do Our Bodies Know Their Ways?” Villagization, Food Insecurity, and Ill-Being in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley. African Studies Review, 61(1), 109–133. https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2017.100