s:1185:"%T Will the specialization or involution thesis hold for smallholder mixed farming systems of harar highlands?: rethinking research direction and intervention options for sustainable smallholder agriculture development in Ethiopia 
%A Kassa, H. 
%A Assefa, M. 
%X This study explored trends of farming systems and livelihood options over time, and examined changes in livestock inventory in relation to changes in farm size and socio-economic status of smallholder farmers in the Harar Highlands of Ethiopia. Three districts with different rural population densities (low, medium, and high) were identified. Community level information was collected using participatory research methods. Then a formal survey was administered on 225 households randomly selected from the three districts and belonging to three well-being categories (poor, medium, and well-to-do). Both one-way and two-way ANOVA were used to analyse data. The results showed that farmers changed their livestock inventory (species composition and number) as farm sizes declined, moving mainly from ruminants to non-ruminants. Total livestock holdings varied significantly across districts and well-being groups (P 
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