Fostering food security to prevent conflict and ensure stability in the Central Rift valley of Ethiopia
The economy of Ethiopia is largely dependent on agriculture, as it employs about 75% of the workforce. Ethiopian agriculture is mostly dependent on rainfall and is highly vulnerable to climate change related hazards such as droughts, floods, and infestations. Food insecurity has continued to be a recurring challenge. Soil erosion, poor soil fertility and deforestation are impeding the country’s economic development.
The combination of drought, displacement, violence and underdevelopment frequently results in pervasive food insecurity, resulting in an estimated 20.1 million people requiring food support.
The “Fostering food security to prevent conflict and ensure stability in the Central Rift valley of Ethiopia” project aims at enhancing food security to prevent conflict and instability among the vulnerable rural communities in the Central rift valley areas in Ethiopia. In particular, the Adami Tullu district has been selected, involving about 1,760 farmers.
The main goals are:
- Create the basis for economic empowerment of the beneficiary communities through capacity building and provision of climate-resilient technologies
- Enhance community engagement and well-being through cross-cultural interaction and community conversation that results in conflict prevention
- Mainstream youth and women empowerment and social inclusion in project formulation and implementation to ensure that ‘no one is left behind’
The project partners will leverage on their respective experience and expertise to support capacity building on vegetable production and business skills on entrepreneurship, marketing, and group dynamics. E4Impact, in particular, will take care of this second part.