Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia: State Policy and Smallholder Farming (Africa Now)

For thousands of years, Ethiopia has depended on its smallholding farmers to provide the bulk of its food needs. But now, such farmers find themselves under threat from environmental degradation, climate change and declining productivity. As a result, smallholder agriculture has increasingly become subsistence-oriented, with many of these farmers trapped in a cycle of poverty. Smallholders have long been marginalised by mainstream development policies, and only more recently has their crucial importance been recognised for addressing rural poverty through agricultural reform. This collection, written by leading Ethiopian scholars, explores the scope and impact of Ethiopia2019s policy reforms over the past two decades on the smallholder sector. Focusing on the Lake Tana basin in northwestern Ethiopia, an area with untapped potential for growth, the contributors argue that any effective policy will need to go beyond agriculture to consider the role of health, nutrition and local food customs, as well as including increased safeguards for smallholder2019s land rights. They in turn show that smallholders represent a vitally overlooked component of development strategy, not only in Ethiopia but across the global South Résumé de l'éditeur" : For thousands of years, Ethiopia has depended on its smallholding farmers to provide the bulk of its food needs. But now, such farmers find themselves under threat from environmental degradation, climate change and declining productivity. As a result, smallholder agriculture has increasingly become subsistence-oriented, with many of these farmers trapped in a cycle of poverty. Smallholders have long been marginalised by mainstream development policies, and only more recently has their crucial importance been recognised for addressing rural poverty through agricultural reform.0This collection, written by leading Ethiopian scholars, explores the scope and impact of Ethiopia's policy reforms over the past two decades on the smallholder sector. Focusing on the Lake Tana basin in northwestern Ethiopia, an area with untapped potential for growth, the contributors argue that any effective policy will need to go beyond agriculture to consider the role of health, nutrition and local food customs, as well as including increased safeguards for smallholder's land rights. They in turn show that smallholders represent a vitally overlooked component of development strategy, not only in Ethiopia but across the global South "For thousands of years, Ethiopia has depended on its smallholding farmers to provide the bulk of its food needs. But now, such farmers find themselves under threat from environmental degradation, climate change and declining productivity. As a result, smallholder agriculture has increasingly become subsistence-oriented, with many of these farmers trapped in a cycle of poverty. Smallholders have long been marginalised by mainstream development policies, and only more recently has their crucial importance been recognised for addressing rural poverty through agricultural reform. This collection, written by leading Ethiopian scholars, explores the scope and impact of Ethiopia's policy reforms over the past two decades on the smallholder sector. The contributors argue that any effective policy will need to go beyond agriculture to consider the role of health, nutrition and local food customs, as well as including increased safeguards for smallholder's land rights. They in turn show that smallholders represent a vitally overlooked component of development strategy, not only in Ethiopia but across the global South"--Page 4 of cover Cover; About the editor; Title Page; Copyright; Contents; Acknowledgements; Note on reference citations of Ethiopian authors; Contributor Biographies; List of Abbreviations; List of Tables and Figures; State policies and questions of agrarian transformation; Introduction; Socio-technical perspectives of smallholder agriculture; Diverse pathways of agricultural change; The political landscape of the state-smallholder relationship; Brief introduction to the chapters; Enduring issues concerning smallholder agriculture; Note; References; 1: Agricultural input supply and output marketing systems 4: Determinants of Climate-resilient Agricultural Practices among Smallholder FarmersIntroduction; Why is conservation agriculture relevant for the Ethiopian highlands?; Survey design and administration; Modelling the decision to convert conventional farming into conservation farming; Results and discussions; Conclusion and policy recommendations; Notes; References; 5: SocioCultural Dimensions of Food: The Case of Teff; Introduction; Studies on food: a brief review; The study area; Brief description of the crop; Food items from teff; Sociocultural and symbolic uses of teff Sociocultural and ritual practices in teff cultivationDiscussion; Conclusion; Acknowledgement; References; 6: The Impact of Malaria Epidemics on Agricultural Production in Dembia and Fogera, 1950-2000; Introduction; Rural health and farm labour; Malaria epidemics in Dembia and Fogera districts, 1950-58; Malaria epidemics since 1959; Conclusion; Notes; References; 7: Women farmers' land rights in the context of constraining cultural norms; Introduction; Methods; Gendered agriculture; Selected descriptions from the qualitative data Case 1: Large-scale agricultural investment and the smallholders in Gambella and BenishangulCase 2: Potato value chain in traditional versus contract farming; Conclusions; References; 3: Large-scale canal irrigation management by smallholder farmers; Ethiopia's focus on water; Irrigation -- underdeveloped, but emerging; Policy drive for modern irrigation for smallholders; Collective management and collaboration; Case study: Koga Dam and Irrigation Scheme; Issues and gaps in irrigation management; Conclusions; Notes; References IntroductionAgricultural input use and supply systems of smallholder farmers; Marketing systems of agricultural products of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia; Institutional support services for agricultural input supply and output marketing; The role of cooperatives in agricultural input supply and output marketing; Conclusion; References; 2: Agricultural Investment Alternatives and the Smallholder Farming Sector; Introduction; Brief background to agricultural modernization in Ethiopia; Methods and data sources An examination of Ethiopia's agriculture system, and the vitally overlooked importance of this component of development strategy for health and food security in the wider region.