1. Introduction
Ethiopia with an estimated population of 82 million of which 83% are rural population is an agrarian country (CSA, 2009). In Ethiopia, agriculture is a foundation and the leading sector in the country economic growth. It contributes to raw materials for industries, food for consumption, foreign exchange earnings, and employment opportunities in Ethiopia. As reported, the sector supports employment of over 80% of the population and accounts for 45% to 50% of the national GDP (Berhanu, 2006).
Despite that potential, the existing capacity of agriculture to attain food security and livelihood security is tremendously declining from time to time (Yishak Gecho, 2017). As a response, the non-farm activities become the leading alternatives in sustaining livelihood among rural households in Ethiopian. It is the multidimensional sectors which contributes to the risk aversion, incomes enhancement, improved food security and hence, to the entire country economic growth. Accordingly, several studies have been conducted on the non-farm livelihood activities in different junctions of Ethiopia. They have been undertaken in areas of determinants, challenges and effects of non-farm livelihood activities in several parts of Ethiopia. These have been failed to summarize the contribution of non-farm livelihood activities in Ethiopia. Hence, the paper has been prepared to review difference past studies on the non-farm livelihood strategies in Ethiopia with the objectives of reviewing the existing livelihood strategies in Ethiopia; the contributions of non-farm livelihood activities and the challenges of non-farm livelihood activities in Ethiopia.
Thus, the rests of the paper were organized as following; the 2nd section of this paper has provided the methods of collecting data, the form of data collected, the sources of the data and how the data were summarized. The 3rd section has exceedingly discussed the existing livelihood activities, the contributions of current non-farm livelihood strategies as well as the challenges of the non-farm livelihood activities in the unchanged section. The 4th section draws the conclusions of the reviewed studies in Ethiopia. It discussed the main results applications and the suggestions for the further studies.
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