Governance and the Millennium Development Goals: Exploring Education and Gender-Related Goals in Ethiopia

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) consists of various aspects of human developments that have been pledged by 189 countries in the United Nations General Assembly in 1990. The MDGs has eight goals, eighteen targets and forty eight indicators to be achieved by 2015. Indeed, deadline is approaching. According to different reports, some countries have shown progress, but many countries in Sub Saharan Africa are lagging behind.  Scholars are now critically looking into the possible ‘missing pieces’ in those countries that are behind timetable in achieving the goals. In the same vein, the objective of this paper is to explore whether governance is one of missing pieces in countries lagging behind the schedule. To do so, we have selected Ethiopia as a case out of Sub Saharan countries due to information access to Ethiopia and Ethiopia is highly committed country to achieve MDGs, although lagging behind. We have specifically focused on MDG Goal 2 and 3 by interviewing different actors and reviewing literatures. The results indicate that Ethiopia has shown promising results in achieving MDG goal 2 and 3. However, in terms of governance, Ethiopian policy actors should rethink on multi-sectoral approaches in achieving these two goals, and tension between government and NGOs relation due to enactment of Charities and Societies Proclamation No. 621/2009. Further, quality of education is should be incorporated in MDG indicator post 2015 worldwide. Keywords:  Millennium Development, MDG Goal 2 and 3, Education, Gender goal, Governance, Ethiopi

The Food Aid Scenario in Ethiopia: pro-poor or pro-politics?

Ethiopia is one of the leading aid recipient countries in the world and Africa with 5-6 millions peoples approximately requiring urgent food assistance on a non-stop basis in rural areas alone. The country receives between 20-30 % of the food aid allotted to sub-Saharan Africa. Attributed to ill-favored aid architecture including the local political economy and targeting mechanisms, according evidences drawn from empirical research works, currently in the country, food aid is bringing more harm than good with a serious of debilitating repercussions on local development especially, on the socio-economic issues. This paper is based on critical review empirical research works of the scenarios of the sate of  food aid and food aid dependence in selected regional states of Ethiopia (Amhara, Tigray, Somali, Afar and South Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional States) with the main objective of assessing the impact of food aid dependence on social and economic issues across the various regions of the country and to see whether food aid provisions are married to patronage of politically motivated objectives to maintain the political interest of the government and donors or to really support the needy. The result of this review show that food aid has substantial impacts on local market and production, local consumption pattern, and creating dependency syndrome and moral hazards mainly due to poor management, mode of delivery, political-favoritism and targeting mechanisms. This paper recommends that for food aid to be effective in helping the needy and assist local development efforts there has to be efficient targeting mechanism that hardly allows targeting errors of inclusion and exclusion and nepotism. Food aid programs should also be re-engineered in a manner that helps recipients’ in long-term asset creation and welfare of the people. Keywords: Food aid, Food aid architecture, Aid dependence, Labor disincentive, political favoritism, Ethiopi

Analysis of farmers’ perceptions of bench terracing innovation in the eastern and southern Ethiopian highlands

ABSTRACTLand degradation threatens environmental and agricultural development in the 21st century. To alleviate this problem, bench terracing has been implemented in eastern and southern Ethiopia. This paper investigates how farmers perceive the attributes and effectiveness of bench terracing in Ethiopia. A Multi-stage sampling techniques were applied to select 384 sample households. For this study, data were collected through primary and secondary sources, and the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis methods. Primary data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, focus groups, and key informant interviews; secondary data came from local authority reports. We found that bench terraces restored damaged land and improved crop yield where they were aptly implemented and maintained. The findings also disclose that 57.3% of farmers perceived that bench terracing was more cost-effective; 60.7% responded that it is compatible with the socio-cultural context; and 59.8% perceived Its outcomes are observable to others. However, when a farmer lacks sufficient social, human, or financial capital holdings and capabilities, it often fails. We conclude that the technology was adopted through a multifaceted process, promoted or hindered by both its attributes and effectiveness. Policy-makers and Planners should center those restraints on designing, implementing, and maintaining bench terracing

Perception and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among smallholder farmers in eastern Ethiopia

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of human life. Its effect was particularly severe in sectors that are directly related to agricultural production and food security. This research was conducted to uncover the perception of smallholder farmers in eastern Ethiopia about the pandemic, prevention and control measures, and its impact on their livelihood. Through a semi-structured interview schedule conducted on 176 randomly selected rural households, we found a varying level of practicing the recommended COVID-19 prevention and control measures. The study also found that the response of the media, family members and religious organizations to the pandemic was rated as “very good”. The most important impact of the pandemic was associated with household’s inability to obtain a reasonable price for their agricultural produce, and inability to attend religious gatherings/prayers. Other impacts of the pandemic were fear of losing friends and getting sick/losing life. Considering the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, a reinforced awareness creation campaign, behaviour change communication by extension workers, and continued provision of basic health and sanitation facilities was recommended. Such interventions should focus on improving the access of smallholders to Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs). Continued engagement with diverse media platforms and developing trust is also needed to increase the spread of reliable COVID-19 related information. Moreover, safeguarding the agricultural sector against risks and uncertainties has to be prioritized through strengthening early warning system, distributing improved/early-maturing seeds and fertilizers, providing insecticides/pesticides, linking smallholders to market outlets, and emergency food aid via the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP)