ETHIOPIA: Reviving agriculture post-conflict

Food security is a chronic problem in Ethiopia that worsened rapidly between 2020 and today, after more than two years of conflict in the North and another major drought in the South. Today, nearly 17 million people are food insecure. Agriculture accounts for 34% of GDP, 67% of jobs and brings important sources of exports to the country.

Without a proactive program, millions of farmers in these regions will not be able to restart their agricultural production, resulting in major food insecurity, an increase in poverty and dependence on humanitarian aid for the farmers, agricultural imports for the economy.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to reducing food insecurity in Ethiopia by relaunching resilient agricultural activity in conflict-affected regions through increased sustainable development of the seed value chain and the promotion of agro-ecological practices.

The specific objectives are:

• Supporting the most vulnerable farmers in relaunching diversified and resilient agricultural activity in conflict-affected regions;
• Strengthening the seed value chain globally, from applied research on improved seeds to production, multiplication and support to farmers.

These specific objectives will be achieved through two project components:

• A short-term (2 years) component aimed at reviving diversified and resilient agricultural activity in the regions affected by the crisis;
• A long-term component (5 years) to rehabilitate and strengthen the national seed sector. 

The FARM project will lead to:

• A total of 533,000 smallholder farmers in 50 Woredas/districts will benefit from FARM project.
• Two research centers will be rehabilitated and rebuilt.
• Service providing and technology multiplication centers will be reequipped and rehabilitated to normalize their function.
• Twenty Farmers Training Centers will be rebuilt and capacitated.
• Twenty seed and seedling multiplication nurseries will be rehabilitated and rebuilt.