Some thoughts on prospects for achieving food security in Ethiopia: resource and policy aspects

Abstract

This paper has attempted to examine prospects for attaining food security in Ethiopia in the area of crop production excluding livestock. Possible areas of intervention of food production we have considered are physical resources, human resources, policy issues, and the management of the agricultural sector. In each case merits and demerits are identified. Among the merits of physical resources are land area, diverse climate, and relatively abundant water. The possibility of bringing more area of land under rain-fed and irrigated cultivation, benefiting from the climatic variations the country is characterized with, exploiting more water resources, and raising productivity are examined. At the same time, the need to overcome certain difficulties that may arise in the process of expanding food production is indicated. As regards the human resource, the large population size the country has, and the presence of unemployed and underemployed population in rural Ethiopia are considered useful pools to draw labor force from to the proposed expansion of agriculture. However, that appropriate use of the labor force requires expanding education, training, and health care is also noted. The need to re-examine our land tenure policy, internal mobility of people, and diversifying our economy as part of our strategy of achieving food security is suggested.