“The productivity of Ethiopian agriculture is among the lowest in the world - around 1.2 tons per hectare.” (World Bank).  Most Ethiopians are ‘sub-subsistence' farmers and more than eight out of ten Ethiopians depend on agriculture as their main livelihood.

Agriculture is the core of the Ethiopian economy.  It accounts for about 40 per cent of GDP, provides approximately 70 per cent of raw material required by the industrial sector, generates 90 per cent of export earnings and accounts for 85 per cent of employment.

However, Ethiopian farmers do not produce enough food to meet consumption requirements and Ethiopia remains the world's most food aid dependent country.  Even in a year of record harvest, 42% of Ethiopians consumed less than the recommended daily allowance of 2,200 kcal. 

In one of the world's poorest countries, where about 44 per cent of the population lives under the poverty line, more than 12 million people are chronically or at least periodically food insecure.  Most of them live in rural areas.

Ethiopian agriculture is dominated by a subsistence, low input-low output, rain-fed farming system.  It is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by inappropriate agricultural practices and overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, undeveloped water resources and poor transport infrastructure, making it difficult and expensive to get goods to market.

In partnership with rural communities IDP works to implement projects in pasture regeneration, agricultural development and the provision of veterinary services.

We support local farmers in their efforts to improve agricultural production by:

• providing vegetable seeds and basic, modern agricultural tools,
• promoting the use of organic fertiliser,
• encouraging rainwater harvesting and
• introducing small-scale irrigation systems by providing simple pumps and hoses in those areas with access to ground water.

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