The political economy of food price: The case of Ethiopia

Food prices increased significantly in 2007 - 08 in Ethiopia due to several supply- and demand-side factors. The Ethiopian government released emergency food grain reserves, imported and distributed wheat at subsidized price, banned the export of staple cereals, and removed value added and turnover taxes on food items. It also increased the reserve requirement of commercial banks and reduced domestic borrowing by public enterprises. These measures were mostly initiated by the government and the role of interest groups as well as local and international actors has been limited. These measures were taken to prevent potential social unrest and maintain macro-economic stability

Allocation of children's time endowment between schooling and work in rural Ethiopia

Children have always been part of the economic life of societies. Historical evidence indicates that the contribution of children to family income in cash or in kind has been consistently significant. Currently, the issue of child labor has become an important global development issue in academic research. Empirical evidence indicates that child laborers are found mostly in developing countries and are employed mainly in agriculture and related activities. The aim of this study was to examine the decision-making behavior of subsistence rural households with respect to allocating their children's unit-time endowment among competing activities, including work and school attendance. A multinomial logit model has been used to identify the social, economic and cultural factors influencing household’s decision about the allocation of children's time using data from a survey of rural households in Ethiopia. The results show that there are a number of child- and household-specific attributes, culture- and location-specific factors as well as economic factors related to household wealth and technological development that affect the decision-making process. Improving the educational infrastructure, encouraging technological adoption and creating a more stable economic base for rural households could significantly contribute towards reducing the problem of child labor

The incidence of child labour in Africa with empirical evidence from rural Ethiopia

There has been a growing interest in the subject of child labour in Africa in recent years among academics, professionals and the media primarily for two reasons: Firstly, because the number of children affected is growing, and secondly because of the negative repercussions that work at an early age may have on the personal development of children and the economic and social development of countries concerned. The main intent of this paper was to examine the incidence of child labour in Africa with the help of empirical data from rural Ethiopia, since it is one of the countries with a high incidence of child labour in Africa. The analysis showed that the incidence of child labour is indeed very high in Africa, where children's participation rate in economic activities could be as high as forty percent. If present trends continue, Africa could be faced with more than 100 million child labourers in the year 2015. The empirical data from Ethiopia, although it may not be representative of the whole continent, showed that children as young as five years old are made to participate in farm and household work activities, some of which could be totally incompatible with schooling. Child labour has also been one of the main reasons for low school enrolment in rural Ethiopia. In order to mitigate the problem of child labour in Africa, there is a need to adopt serious poverty reduction strategies, compulsory but flexible primary education and training policies, appropriate community awareness programs, and enforceable legal measures. In addition, more research on the push and pull or demand and supply factors on child labour are needed if progress is to be made on the efforts to curtail child labour in Africa

Ethiopia - land, climate, energy, agriculture and development : A study in the Sudano-Sahel Initiative for regional development, jobs, and food security

Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of more than 110 million. With over 10 percent growth rate, the Ethiopian economy has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world over the last one and half decades. By any measure agriculture is the dominant economic sector in the country accounting for a sizeable portion of the GDP growth, generating most of the export earnings and employing most of the labour force. The country has diverse agro-ecological conditions which are suitable for growing both temperate and tropical food and industrial crops. This study has tried to review the trends in environment conditions such as energy use, land cover and land use changes as well as the impact of climate change and the policy responses of the Government of Ethiopia. The review clearly shows that Ethiopia is still a poor country with more than one fifth of the population living below the national poverty line. Food insecurity continues to be a big challenge for millions of Ethiopians. Despite being the dominant economic sector, agricultural production is characterized as a low-input-low productivity sector. Land degradation is a very serious problem in Ethiopia due to the fact that many parts of the Ethiopian highlands are mountainous and rugged. Even though Ethiopia has huge potential for generating renewable energy, the majority of the Ethiopian population still relies on biomass energy sources such as wood, animal dung and crop residues. These environmental challenges are also exacerbated due to the effect of climate change. To mitigate the impact of land degradation, deforestation, and climate change, the Government of Ethiopia has formulated and implemented several policies. The Agricultural Growth Program (AGP), the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), the Sustainable Land Management Program (SLM) and the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy are the major programs being implemented to address these environmental challenges. Indeed, these interventions have made noticeable contributions to curb the challenges

Allocation of children's time endowment between schooling and work in rural Ethiopia

Children have always been part of the economic life of societies. Historical evidence indicates that the contribution of children to family income in cash or in kind has been consistently significant. Currently, the issue of child labor has become an important global development issue in academic research. Empirical evidence indicates that child laborers are found mostly in developing countries and are employed mainly in agriculture and related activities. The aim of this study was to examine the decision-making behavior of subsistence rural households with respect to allocating their children's unit-time endowment among competing activities, including work and school attendance. A multinomial logit model has been used to identify the social, economic and cultural factors influencing household's decision about the allocation of children's time using data from a survey of rural households in Ethiopia. The results show that there are a number of child- and household-specific attributes, culture-and location-specific factors as well as economic factors related to household wealth and technological development that affect the decision-making process. Improving the educational infrastructure, encouraging technological adoption and creating a more stable economic base for rural households could significantly contribute towards reducing the problem of child labor

From Potentials to Reality: Transforming Africa’s Food Production : Investment and policy priorities for sufficient, nutritious and sustainable food supplies

This study identifies ways in which Africa can realize its potential to secure a supply of food for affordable and healthy diets through the sustainable use of its own resources. The focus is on investment, cooperation, and policy action. The agenda proposed here is intended to be a long-term one, but one that should be initiated in the short term with concrete actions

Policy options for food system transformation in Africa and the role of science, technology and innovation

As recognized by the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa – 2024 (STISA-2024), science, technology and innovation (STI) offer many opportunities for addressing the main constraints to embracing transformation in Africa, while important lessons can be learned from successful interventions, including policy and institutional innovations, from those African countries that have already made significant progress towards food system transformation. This chapter identifies opportunities for African countries and the region to take proactive steps to harness the potential of the food and agriculture sector so as to ensure future food and nutrition security by applying STI solutions and by drawing on transformational policy and institutional innovations across the continent. Potential game-changing solutions and innovations for food system transformation serving people and ecology apply to (a) raising production efficiency and restoring and sustainably managing degraded resources; (b) finding innovation in the storage, processing and packaging of foods; (c) improving human nutrition and health; (d) addressing equity and vulnerability at the community and ecosystem levels; and (e) establishing preparedness and accountability systems. To be effective in these areas will require institutional coordination; clear, food safety and health-conscious regulatory environments; greater and timely access to information; and transparent monitoring and accountability systems

Policy options for food system transformation in Africa and the role of science, technology and innovation

As recognized by the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa – 2024 (STISA-2024), science, technology and innovation (STI) offer many opportunities for addressing the main constraints to embracing transformation in Africa, while important lessons can be learned from successful interventions, including policy and institutional innovations, from those African countries that have already made significant progress towards food system transformation. This chapter identifies opportunities for African countries and the region to take proactive steps to harness the potential of the food and agriculture sector so as to ensure future food and nutrition security by applying STI solutions and by drawing on transformational policy and institutional innovations across the continent. Potential game-changing solutions and innovations for food system transformation serving people and ecology apply to (a) raising production efficiency and restoring and sustainably managing degraded resources; (b) finding innovation in the storage, processing and packaging of foods; (c) improving human nutrition and health; (d) addressing equity and vulnerability at the community and ecosystem levels; and (e) establishing preparedness and accountability systems. To be effective in these areas will require institutional coordination; clear, food safety and health-conscious regulatory environments; greater and timely access to information; and transparent monitoring and accountability systems.https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-15703-5hj2024Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural DevelopmentSDG-02:Zero Hunge

Von den Potenzialen zur Realität: Wie die afrikanische Lebensmittelproduktion gesteigert werden kann : Investitionen und politische Prioritäten für eine ausreichende, nährstoffreiche und nachhaltige Lebensmittelversorgung

Diese Studie zeigt Wege auf, wie Afrika sein Potenzial zur Sicherung der Versorgung mit Nahrungsmitteln für eine erschwingliche und gesunde Ernährung durch die nachhaltige Nutzung seiner eigenen Ressourcen ausschöpfen kann. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf Investitionen, Zusammenarbeit und politischen Maßnahmen. Die hier vorgeschlagene Agenda ist langfristig angelegt, sollte aber bereits kurzfristig mit konkreten Maßnahmen eingeleitet werden