Search

In many parts of the Global South, food systems are confronted with complex sustainability challenges including high levels of poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, disempowerment, and degraded environments. Transformation is broadly discussed in research, policy, and planning as the systemic change required to address complex sustainability issues. Transformation of food systems has become a global priority for research and action. However, transformation processes are not neutral, but are associated with losses and gains that are unevenly distributed. Institutions play an important role in relation to how transformation of food systems occur and with what outcomes. Empirical understandings of how institutions can influence transformation processes in a way that avoids risks or the so-called dark side of transformation are needed. This article aims to contribute towards understanding the roles that institutions play in transformation processes in the context of Global South food systems through synthesising insights from transdisciplinary case studies. The three case studies include multi-purpose cooperative institutions in farming areas in southwest Ethiopia, fisherfolk organisations in aquatic food-producing areas in northern Philippines, and Gotong Royong for irrigation canal management for pond aquaculture in Indonesia. The article examines whether and how institutions advance inclusion and participation in food systems, and whether institutions enable or constrain food system actors in mitigating or avoiding transformation risks. The paper reflects on the role of community-level institutions and hybrid governance arrangements, and the interplay of structure and agency in transformation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify and select an appropriate business model for the utilization of maize shelling technologies in small-scale farming practices. Though a very old practice, agriculture is still the central activity of the entire globe due the reason that it directly or indirectly affects the livelihood of the inhabitants. West Gojjam zone of the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) in Ethiopia is among the known maize producing zones in Country for both consumption and as a cash crop. But, the problem is the high wastage of production due to post-harvest losses (PHL) due to mechanical shelling practices. Aiming to solve this PHL of maize production, at the shelling stage, assessments and discussion with the maize growing farmers and experts concerned were conducted. This paper tries to present an appropriate business model for enabling local small holder farmers get access to different maize shelling technologies. The research follows a survey-type design which provides both a quantitative and a qualitative description of operational and business variables, attitudes, or opinions of a population in the target area, and overall insight of the technology market. The current data shows that rental maize shelling service is feasible for the fragmented maize production of the West Gojjam zone, in the Amhara National Regional State of Ethiopia. Hence, a generic conceptual model has been developed based on the feedbacks of local smallholder farmers, agricultural agents, service providers and suppliers. This model shows how to select and make available appropriate maize shelling technologies that will fit the actual demand at household level. It also shows a rent-to-own approach of maize shelling service that will help the unemployed youth in the localities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural extension services in poor countries often identify opinion leaders based on criteria such as wealth and social status. We explore the effectiveness of this top-down approach by analysing the role of so-called model and nodal farmers in the diffusion of malt barley in a highland community in Ethiopia. We use a retrospective case study design where we combine quantitative network analysis with qualitative data. Nodal farmers played a more central role in knowledge diffusion of the technology than model farmers. While model farmers were wealthier and better connected to the local authorities, nodal farmers were socio-economically more similar to their fellow farmers. Nodal and model farmers, as well as farmers closely connected to them, had a significantly higher adoption index than the rest. The diffusion of knowledge is an important condition for the adoption of modern agricultural technologies, but it is not enough, particularly when access to external inputs is limited. Moreover, relying on assumed opinion leaders has its limitations and may even reinforce existing inequalities. This paper has shown the complementarity of network approaches. We propose network approaches such as social network analysis to identify community brokers who emerge from bottom-up or clan-based, political, knowledge networks that mediate access to agricultural technologies. Our combined research approach differs from the mainstream of studies in this field that employ either ethnographic fieldwork or (spatial-)econometric methods. We aim to create a bridge between the often separated worlds of (technical) agronomic research, (qualitative) rural sociology, and (quantitative) econometric analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to understand the role of climate-smart villages (CSVs) in promoting gender empowerment and equality in East Africa. This paper uses data collected from 280 and 305 randomly selected farm household heads in Doyogena (Ethiopia) and Nyando (Kenya), respectively. To analyse the data, the gender empowerment index for climate resilient agriculture (GEI-CRA) and the gender parity index (GPI) were constructed based on guidelines from the literature. In both Doyogena and Nyando, households in CSVs scored higher GEI. Comparing men and women in the CSVs, women were found to be more empowered compared to men and comparing between the two sites, household heads in Doyogena were more empowered than those in Nyando. Regarding gender parity index (GPI), in both sites, majority of the women in the empowered households in CSVs were either at equal status with men or even at higher status than men. These findings shed light on the potential of CSVs in enhancing gender empowerment and promoting gender equality. The positive contribution of CSVs may guide policymakers to scale up these practices with a better-targeted approach that recognize and adequately address the implementation of CSA practices so that men and women can equally benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the market participation gaps and their causes between female-headed households (FHHs) and male-headed households (MHHs) in Ethiopia using an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition approach. The results showed that structural/coefficient effects accounted for 74 per cent (65%) of the differences between FHH and MHH in the net buyer (net seller) maize market positions. The gap between FHH and MHHs regarding quantities of maize sold was largely explained by endowment effects. The results imply that closing the observed market participation gaps will require policy interventions that facilitate equal access for both FHHs and MHHs to resources and other supportive social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to examine the determinants of farmland degradation in the West Guji Zone. The study employed data collected in 2020 from a sample of 385 farm households selected using a simple random sampling technique. An ordered probit model was run to examine the association of explanatory variables with the severity of farmland degradation. Farm plot assessment results indicate that most farm plots were categorized as slightly degraded, followed by moderate, non-degraded, and severe degradation statuses. The study indicated that the main causes of farmland degradation were intensive cultivation without fallow, deforestation, high precipitation, overgrazing, steep slopes, and wind. The ordered probit results revealed that age of household heads, number of plots, and slope of the farmland positively and significantly influenced the severity of farmland degradation, while sex of household heads, soil conservation status, family size, education, land-to-labor ratio, and extension contact were negatively and significantly associated with the severity of farmland degradation. Therefore, the study suggests the provision of training to farming households, promotion of cost-effective modern feed resources and homemade biogas, implementation of a participatory management approach, scaling-up existing land management practices, ensuring the sustainability of natural resource use, and a close linkage between farmers and extension agents to minimize farmland degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of modern agricultural technologies remains to be a promising strategy to improve agricultural productivity, achieve food security and reduce poverty in Ethiopia. Despite the efforts to promote adoption in the country, the adoption rate has always been very low. So, it is essential to understand the determinants to the adoption of modern agricultural technologies. This study investigates the determinants of agricultural technology adoption decisions in the rural Amhara region of Ethiopia. The study is based on an Ethiopian socio-economic survey of 2015/16 and a sample of 656 farm households is considered. The paper uses a multinomial logit model to assess the factors affecting the adoption decision of agricultural technology. The result shows that farmers with more educational level, family size, off-farm participation, livestock, extension service, credit access, advisory service, and farmers closer to plot, all-weather road, zonal town, and farmers with lower remittance income are more likely to adopt new or improved agricultural technology. Accordingly, the study provides crucial policy implications regarding the technology adoption in the agricultural sector for all regions of Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the coming decades, ensuring food security is one of the greatest challenges in Ethiopia. Most Ethiopians practice mixed agricultural activity which represents about 33.88% of the country's GDP. Therefore, this paper is devoted to reviewing the existing agricultural challenges and future prospects in the country. Majorly, it focused on the shortage of farmland, climate change, fragmentation and degradation of farmland, unevenly distributed constructions and urbanizations, pests, lack of integration among stakeholders, political instabilities, and its prospects. Despite the numerous challenges, Ethiopia has marvelous opportunities like the commercialization of fruit, vegetable, and ornamental plant productions. The country has also ample opportunity in the areas of animal production that ranks first in Africa in the number of livestock heads. The country has a huge labor force and water resources. It is proximity to Middle East markets is valuable to transport fresh products within a short period of time to the needed destination. However, Ethiopia's current fruit, vegetable, and animal production for export are very limited because of fragmented cultivation and lack of quality. The country has also a great variety of climate and soil types that enables it to grow a diversity of horticultural crops. Therefore, emphasizing agriculture in Ethiopia requires the political as well as the economic commitment of all parties concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the literature on the ‘land grab’ has thus far focused on the international drivers of foreign agricultural investment, with far less attention paid to the roles of developing country states and domestic political economy in changing forms of agrarian production. This paper analyses how global and domestic processes combine to produce patterns of agrarian transformation in Ethiopia, one of the main targets of foreign agricultural investment. The paper presents a typology of changes in land use and examines in detail three case studies of investments in Ethiopia drawn from this typology. The paper concludes that the most dramatic changes are taking place in lowland, peripheral regions where large-scale, capital-intensive farms employing wage labour pose a serious risk to pastoralists whose ‘use’ of land is contested by the state. Although the government has been careful to avoid mass displacement of settled smallholders, there are also important changes taking place in highland areas, with the government encouraging investments that combine the resources of investors with the labour and land of smallholders. These investments have resulted in exposure to new forms of market risk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to better understand actors involved in the generation, translation, communication and governance of agricultural climate services and their networks in Ethiopia. To achieve these objectives, about 65 actor organizations were selected across seven regions and two city administrations in Ethiopia through a scoping study, extensive literature review, and snowball sampling. Structured questionnaires with closed and open-ended questions were designed to gather relevant information. Results were used to compute network size, density and centrality measures. Our findings show that climate services are regularly communicated to only 10% of the total districts (woredas) on average, with only a third of the actors involved in communicating these services. No single organization or institution plays a dominant role in production, translation, communication or governance of climate services, but a network of organizations and institutions are involved. Major challenges faced by the actors involved in production, translation and delivery of climate services included lack of human and financial resources and weak monitoring and evaluation systems. The paper highlights the importance of strengthening partnerships and networking among actors including monitoring and evaluation systems at all levels to facilitate effective production, translation and dissemination of climate services to farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic ecosystems contribute to human well-being by delivering ecosystem services, but their protection has been given low priority in Africa. Lake Ziway in the Ethiopian Rift Valley basin provides services including irrigation, drinking water and fish food in the region. This paper reviews the biological resources and spatio- temporal variation of water quality of the lake focussing on nutrients, metals and pesticides. Lake Ziway is under increasing agricultural and urban pressure and is exhibiting deteriorating trends in several water quality and ecological parameters. Nutrients and trace metals, including PO43−, NO3−, NH4+, Ca2+, Cu and Ni of the lake have shown increasing temporal trends in concentration. Spatially, higher values of major parameters (e.g. NO3−, NH4+, K, Na and electrical conductivity) were observed at shoreline sites near floriculture farming. The water quality of the lake exceeded guideline values for drinking water (alkalinity and Fe) and for aquatic life (NH +, Fe, Cr, Cu and Se). The recently reported pesticides in the lake possibly cause ecological and human health effect. Accordingly, agriculture and urbanisation are affecting water quality of Lake Ziway, with likely negative effects on human health and the lake ecosystem function unless appropriate interventions are taken. Our results may be useful in assessing other African lakes subject to similar anthropogenic pressures in their catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the welfare effect of inter- and intra-seasonal weather shocks using a nationally representative dataset. Results show that both rainfall and maximum temperature variability appear to exert a negative impact on the considered outcomes. Higher between-years average of rainfall implies an increase in income. This impact is nonlinear when the shock is computed over shorter reference periods and is higher in the upper tail of the income distribution. Moreover, small levels of rainfall variability have a positive effect on income, but only up to a certain threshold, after which the effect becomes negative. There is a nonlinear relationship between welfare outcomes and the first two moments of the maximum temperature distribution. Agricultural extension services, access to rural credit and use of sustainable land management practices (SLM) are crucial to mitigating the negative welfare effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Borana rangelands occur in a semi-arid area in southern Ethiopia, characterized by extensive livestock production. The area is a valuable source of livestock that generates income and livelihoods for large numbers of rural dwellers, and export earnings for Ethiopia's fragile economy. Despite the region's high ecological potential vis-à-vis livestock production, the area is still in a crisis today with limited success of development interventions, due to increasing pressure on the rangelands-appropriation of land by private individuals, with aggravated impacts of droughts, emerging conflicts and destitution. These trends are hypothetically attributed to various factors, including climatic, demographic and market forces. The paper utilizes data from forty pastoral communities in the area to identify the causes of these trends and potential consequences on rural livelihoods. The study infers that the Borana pastoral system is in transition, with evidence of departure from traditional pastoralism to a semi-sedentary system with increasing reliance on crops and private grazing. The semi-arid nature of the area-aggregate mean rainfall between 300 mm and 900 mm per annum-creates a concern about the capacity of the area to support a fully privatized system on a sustainable basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the perceived effects of COVID-19 on smallholder farmers' agricultural production practices in the South Wollo and Oromo Administrative Zones of Ethiopia. Data were collected from 270 randomly selected respondents from September 5 to October 10, 2020. Data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The severity of problems is analyzed using a four-point Likert scale. The quantitative data were analyzed using mean and one sample t-test, while qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The one sample t-test result revealed that the respondents' level of agreement is statistically and significantly different from neutral in all cases at the 95 and 99% levels of confidence. These immediate problems caused the smallholder farmers to develop concerns about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Smallholder farmers in Jige faced challenges like a lack of markets, collaboration issues, delayed agricultural activities, spoilage of produce, labour issues, and increased input prices. The government and development practitioners should prioritize timely agricultural input delivery through cooperative unions, transfer of information and advisory services, and the marketing of agricultural products using alternative strategies. This research contributes evidence-based information for decision-makers to devise appropriate and locally adaptable policy documents for the given policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving sustainable food and nutrition security calls for multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms in implementing, among others, nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions. Despite progresses made in evaluating the effectiveness/impact of these interventions in some countries, very little is known about the nature and causal effect of these interventions in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review aims to provide evidence on the impact of nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions and pathways linking agriculture to improved nutrition. Based on a comprehensive advanced literature search using keywords in various databases and setting inclusion/screening criteria, we identify 25 relevant studies conducted between 2008 and 2018. Overall, we find positive effects on knowledge, attitude, and practice of complementary feeding and economic indicators (income, poverty and asset accumulation). We also find an overwhelming positive effect on food consumption, dietary diversity, and food security indicators. However, we also note mixed effectiveness in relation to child anthropometry. The most important pathways linking agriculture to improved nutrition center on its role as a source of food and income, and its effect on food prices/market. Hence, enhancing community-based nutrition education, accelerating adoption of improved technologies, improving access to farm inputs and technical information, integrating farmers to markets, and boosting enabling environments and capacities should be emboldened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a mixed research design for several reasons. Firstly, the researchers used longitudinal data from open-source remote sensing satellite imagery dating back at least 30 years to study urban expansion into rural farmland. Then, the researchers used cross-sectional data from household surveys, where data collection tools such as questionnaires and structured interviews were utilized. A simple sampling procedure was used to ensure the representativeness of homogeneous target group households. The survey data was analyzed with SPSS software, and the urban-tofarmland extent was investigated with Landsat satellite images and observation intervals every 10 years for the last 30 years. The key finding of this study was that urban expansion is encroaching onto farmland, negatively impacting household livelihoods. It is recommended that urban expansion should be managed and minimized and that cooperation with the communities in the study area is an important issue. The study emphasizes the significance of comprehending the implications of uncontrolled urban development on rural communities in Ethiopia, using a mixed research approach comprising both longitudinal and cross-sectional data. The research demonstrates that expanding cities are having a considerable impact on agricultural livelihoods and require delicate handling to mitigate their unfavorable influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted for describing the rearing and husbandry practice of indigenous goats in the North Shewa zone. A total of 216 farmers were interviewed for the household survey. Data collected through a questionnaire (survey) were described by descriptive statistics using SPSS. The first objective of keeping goats in all districts was for income. Natural pasture (shrubs and bushes) and river water were the major sources of goat feeding and watering, respectively both in dry and wet seasons in the three districts. Among the interviewed goat keepers 94.4% in Berehet, 84.7% in Basona-Worena and 90.3% in Minjar-Shenkora had their own indigenous breeding male goat. The average flock size per monitored households in Berehet, Basona-Worena and Minjar-Shenkora districts was 14.70 ± 10.95, 7.43 ± 3.94 and 14.52 ± 11.36 goats, respectively. Growth rate, body conformation and coat colour for the breeding buck and litter size, body size or appearance and pedigree for does were the first, second and third selection criteria, respectively in all districts. Feed shortage, disease and labour shortage were the first, second and third-ranked constraints for goat production in the study districts, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices of dairy farmers in Agula and Maychew, Northern Ethiopia. Data was collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) and questionnaires. The study explored farmers', implementation of three CSA practices – improved fodder, manure management, and replacement of unproductive cows. The determinants of CSA adoption were analyzed using a binary logistics model at significance levels of 1%, 5%, and 10%. Results showed that improved fodder was adopted by 60.1% in Agula and 18.2% in Maychew. The adoption of manure management (p =.229) and replacement of unproductive cows (p =.935) did not vary significantly. The replacement of unproductive cows had the highest adoption rate (45.9%). Improved fodder adoption was significantly higher among male-headed farms (p =.017). Manure management adoption was positively associated with gender (p =.034), number of cows (p =.081), and access to climate information (p =.063). Replacement of unproductive cows was associated with number of cows (p <.001), farm income (p =.049), and access to extension services (p =.006). FGDs revealed that farmers were able to perceive climate change and its effects on their dairy business. This study underscores the need for CSA practices to adapt to climate change impact on animals and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forage development is one of the strategies to address feed scarcity and low livestock productivity in Ethiopia. In line with government strategy, multiple actors took part in a forage development programme for six years (2004–09) in Alaba Special District, in southern Ethiopia. This paper analyses the six-year forage development programme, comparing its two phases, from an innovation systems perspective to identify best practices. The study shows that key forage innovative practices are: targeting innovative forage farmers, developing local forages, establishing private forage sources, forage promotion and diversifying capacity building. These best practices can be scaled up and out to address feed scarcity and increase livestock productivity. Innovation en matière de développement des forages : données empiriques du District spécial d'Alaba, sud de l'Éthiopie Le développement de forages fait partie des stratégies mises en œuvre pour lutter contre l'insuffisance de fourrage et la faible productivité du bétail en Éthiopie. Conformément à la stratégie gouvernementale, de multiples acteurs ont pris part à un programme de développement de forages pendant six ans (2004–09) dans le District spécial d'Alaba, dans le sud de l'Éthiopie. Ce document analyse le programme de développement de forages de six ans, en comparant les deux phases d'un point de vue de systèmes d'innovation afin d'identifier les meilleures pratiques. Cette étude montre que les pratiques clés innovantes en matière de forages sont : ciblage des agriculteurs innovants utilisant des forages, développement des forages locaux, établissement de sources privées pour les forages, promotion des forages et diversification du renforcement des capacités. L'échelle de ces meilleures pratiques peut être accrue en termes de portée et de nombre afin de lutter contre la pénurie de fourrage et d'augmenter la productivité du bétail. Inovação no Desenvolvimento das Forrageiras: Evidência Empírica do Distrito de Alaba Special, no sul da Etiópia O desenvolvimento das forrageiras é uma das estratégias para abordar a escassez de ração e baixa produtividade da produção de gado na Etiópia. Alinhados com a estratégia do governo, vários agentes participaram de um programa de desenvolvimento de forrageiras durante deis anos (2004–09) no Distrito de Alaba Special, no sul da Etiópia. Este artigo analisa o programa de desenvolvimento das forrageiras de seis anos de duração, comparando suas duas fases a partir de uma perspectiva de sistemas de inovaçóo para identificar as melhores práticas. O estudo mostra que as práticas cruciais e inovadoras relativas ás forrageiras são: ter como alvo produtores inovadores de forrageiras, desenvolver forrageiras locais, estabelecer fontes de forrageiras privadas, promover as forrageiras e diversificar a capacitação. Estas melhores práticas podem ser intensificadas e expandidas para abordar a escassez de ração e aumentar a produtividade do gado. Innovación en el cultivo de forrajes: datos empíricos del Distrito Especial de Alaba en el sur de Etiopía El cultivo de forrajes es una de las estrategias para responder a la escasez de alimentos y a la baja productividad ganadera en Etiopía. En línea con la estrategia gubernamental, varios productores del Distrito Especial de Alaba en el sur de Etiopía participaron en un programa de cultivo de forrajes durante seis años (2004-2009). Para identificar las mejores prácticas, este ensayo analiza el programa y compara sus dos fases desde una perspectiva de innovación de sistemas. El programa mostró que las prácticas más innovadoras para la producción de forraje son: orientar a los productores que utilizan nuevas prácticas en sus cultivos de forraje, desarrollar forrajes locales, crear fuentes privadas de forrajes, promover los forrajes y diversificar el fortalecimiento de capacidades. Estas buenas prácticas pueden darse a conocer y propagarse para responder a la escasez de alimentos e incrementar la productividad ganadera. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Ethiopian government is an active partner in the general trend in Africa to hand out large tracts of land to foreign companies and governments for big commercial farming in order to enhance national development and growing energy needs. Projected enclave enterprises take off on lands of low density and use but often inhabited or used by a variety of local peoples that have no legal title to their land, despite their customary and usufruct rights, because all land in Ethiopia is state property (since 1975). The economic impact of these enterprises (export crop farms, biofuel enterprises) is expected to be mainly on the national level (land lease fee income, export product growth), and to a lesser extent on that of the regional governments. While there are precedents to these land deals in Ethiopia, doling out local lands without much consultation of local inhabitants or land users (e.g. in the large-scale resettlement schemes and state farms), this time the controversy is augmented by insecurity about long-term ecological and food security effects and the generation of friction and counter-discourses that will make the schemes foci of conflict. National territory – ‘the motherland’ – and culturally significant locations are also being leased out, threatening social systems and cultural identities of local groups. Apart from the issue of food insecurity effects, economic dependency on foreign sources may increase. Nationalist issues thus may mingle with social, economic, and cultural heritage issues in emerging concerns on the large-scale leases. Critical discourse and protest on this topic is discouraged by the authorities. The paper will discuss a number of arguments in this debate, comment on some incipient large-scale land acquisition projects, and sketch a research agenda, focusing on the legal and social issues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Tef, Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter, is the main Ethiopian cereal grown on 2.5 million ha annually, and serving as a staple food grain for more than 50 million people. The major constraints in tef husbandry are low productivity (average about 1 t ha21) and lodging. Scientific research on tef began in the late 1950s and over the years a number of improved varieties and management practices have been developed. However, the research outputs have, until recently, been little adopted by farmers. This paper gives an overview of new and impactful technological, institutional and partnership innovation undertaken by Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre with a new tef variety called Quncho. Quncho was developed from an intra-specific hybridization between two improved pure line selection varieties (DZ-01-974 and DZ-01-196). The variety DZ-01-974 is high yielding, but because of the seed colour (pale white) its preference by farmers was limited. On the other hand, the variety DZ-01-196 has been popular for its very white seed colour, but its productivity has been relatively low (1.6-1 .Bt ha21). Hence, a targeted cross to bring together the high- yielding traits of DZ-01 -974 with the seed quality of DZ-01 -196 was made in 2000. Quncho was then developed as an F2-derived recombinant inbred line (RIL) through a single- seed descent breeding method. Officially released in 2006, the Quncho variety is presently attracting farmers and seed growers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study in rural areas of Ethiopia into the problems facing peasant farmers and ameliorating those problems so as to produce food security. The research, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, identified a range of social, economic and natural problems for the agricultural activity of the area. Furthermore, the shortage of draught animals, nutrient depletion and food insecurity were serious for many households. Hence, the local people used various structural and biological land management techniques and they diversified their sources of income to minimise the constraints of land degradation and the impact of food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first ethnoarchaeological study of stigmatised market pottery production in Tigray Region in northern highland Ethiopia. In Tigray the rural farm economy is based on ox-plough cereal farming, which frequently fails to produce a household's subsistence. Rural women are particularly vulnerable to extreme poverty and some turn to pottery making in order to survive. Their choice has consequences: social stigma, domestic conflict, and sometimes violence. The study presents preliminary evidence of how market potters' stigmatised identities are constituted and materialised in pottery fabrication practices, spatial contexts of production, and in the generation of rural political landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings from a study of 178 farm households from two contrasting areas in the Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia. It examines risk perceptions of smallholder farmers under varying contexts. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. It was hypothesized that human capital and household characteristics and orientation, access to resources, infrastructure, information and environmental factors influence perceptions of risks in different ways. Data reduction for independent variables was done by factor analysis (principal component extraction method). Factor analyses identified factors influencing smallholder farmers' perceptions of sources of risks. Logistic regression analyses were used to study the relationships of identified principal components to perceived frequencies of occurrences and consequences of various sources of risks. Logistic regression analyses revealed that asset endowments, locational settings and livelihood diversification strategies pursued determine smallholders' perceived risks. Key findings from the informal survey point out differentiation in perceptions of causes and sources of risks by different actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on the major changes observed in the farming systems of the Harar Highlands of southeastern Ethiopia, with special emphasis on the shift towards trees and shrubs. The study was undertaken during two time periods, 1985-1987 and 1997-1998 with the objectives of characterizing the production systems and their trends, and utilizing information so gained to guide research and extension activities in the study area. It was observed that the farming population had increased, land and large stock holding had decreased slightly, and that crop production was under increasing threats from various scourges, notably pests, weeds, and diseases. In the face of these changes, farmers continued to search for alternative strategies, and the major trend noted was the shift towards naturally growing and cultivated tree and shrub species in general and khat (Chata edulis (Vahl) Forsk. ex Endl.) in particular. This shift increased farm income and promoted crop-livestock integration, thereby improving household food security and enhancing sustainability of smallholder mixed farm systems. The importance of khat to the regional economy was also found to be growing both in the livelihood systems of the people in the study area, and in terms of foreign currency earnings. Despite the critics against the ever-increasing culture of khat, it is argued that the shift towards a khat-based farm economy was unavoidable, and, in the absence of other feasible alternatives, khat production and marketing would remain important to the livelihood systems of people in the study area. In view of this, the roles of the tree component in the farming systems should be duly considered in planning research and extension undertakings in the smallholder farms of the Harar Highlands of Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 2021 conflict in Tigray (north Ethiopia), crop cultivation has been hampered by warfare. Oxen have been looted and killed, farm inputs and tools destroyed by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers. Farmers felt vulnerable out in the open with their oxen. To produce, farmers evaluated risks involved with ploughing and organised lookouts. Overall, a large part of the land had been tilled in difficult conditions, and crops sown that require minimal management, without fertiliser, what led to low yields. True Colour Composite images, produced from Sentinel satellite imagery show that smallholder irrigation schemes were operational. There was a shift from commercial crops to cereals. The situation in western Tigray was particular, as there has been ethnic cleansing of the population and often the 2020 rainfed crops had even not been harvested. Overall, our findings show that the Tigrayan smallholder farming system is resilient, thanks to community self-organisation, combining common strategies of agrarian societies in wartime: spatio-temporal shift in agricultural activities to avoid the proximity with soldiers and shifts in crop types. Rather unique is the relying on communal aid, while the blockade of the Tigray region made that outmigration and off-farm income were no options for the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African agriculture is often dominated by smallholder farms composed of multiple plots. In policy circles it is often assumed that fragmentation coupled with small farm size is an impediment to increasing yields and thus decreasing poverty and food insecurity. There also exists an influential literature that explores the inverse relationship between farm size and yield. While there are many studies internationally, few have been conducted in Africa. Using an Ethiopian national survey, we explore the relationship between yield, farm size and fragmentation. We find an inverse relationship between farm size and yield, and a positive association between yield and land fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the agricultural patterns in the immediate umland of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the crop theory in von Thünen's Isolated State. Although many of the assumptions upon which the Isolated State was built are not met in the study area, several striking empirical parallels can be seen. First, there is a ninety-five square mile eucalyptus forest surrounding the capital city, producing firewood and building material for the city. Even more significant is the shape of the forest which resembles the theoretical patterns suggested by Thünen that resulted from the introduction of an improved transportation surface into the Isolated State along which costs were drastically reduced. Eucalyptus forests are also found around smaller towns over much of Ethiopia in accordance with the idea that the small town in the Isolated State would produce its own land use zones. Vegetable production is found in close proximity to the city although vegetable and milk production do not occur together as suggested by Thünen. It is argued that this practice causes the milk supply of Addis Ababa to fall short of demand. In zones 3, 4, and 5 in the Isolated State, Thünen placed three zones of mixed farming of decreasing intensity. In the equivalent zone in the study area incipient zonation was discovered. A discussion of the problems associated with the Economic Man assumption in a plural society is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on evaluating the technical efficiency of garlic production in northwest Ethiopia. The average yield in the region was lower than its potential, indicating a need to improve farming practices. Data were collected from 359 garlic producers using random sampling. The Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier production function was used to estimate technical efficiency, which was found to be 73%. This means that about 27% of potential garlic output was lost due to inefficiency. Factors such as land size, seed, fertilizer, insecticide, and oxen days were found to have a positive and significant impact on garlic production. On the other hand, factors like age, extension contact, distance, renting land, garlic disease shock, access to finance, and access to information were linked to technical inefficiency. The study suggests that investing in high-quality seeds, improved farming inputs, and access to information can enhance garlic output by leveraging its high efficiency level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies suggest that smallholder farmers' perceptions rather than exact meteorological data strongly influence how they adapt to the changing climate. Therefore, we explored the climate change (CC) perceptions and adaptation strategies of coffee farmers in dependence on the meteorological data (1983–2020) along an elevation gradient (1,600–2,000 masl) in the Sidama region, Ethiopia. In total, 351 coffee farmers were randomly selected for household interviews, complemented with key informants (KIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and field observations. Severity Index (SI) was computed to measure farmers' perception of CC, followed by a Mann–Kendall test to ascertain climate trends. Weighted Average Index (WAI) was also used to rank adaptation strategies. We detected an increasing temperature and annual rainfall trend. Nevertheless, while farmers agreed on rising temperatures, they perceived rainfall reduction, contradicting the meteorological data. The highest SI was recorded for the rising temperature, followed by the uncertainty of rainfall distribution, increasing number of hot days, late-onset, and reduced amount of rainfall. The SI results with KIs and FGDs confirmed that weather events seemed more variable than in the past two to three decades and affected coffee production. As the most important CC adaptation strategies, the respondents practise agroforestry, application of compost, terrace construction, modification of farming calendar, and crop diversification. Our results also revealed that gender, education, farming experience, family size, access to agricultural and farmer-to-farmer extensions, and credit services affected adopting adaptation strategies. This study confirms that farmers' perception is more important in shaping the applied adaptation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to show how neocolonial development has led to increasing 'de-agrarianisation' despite agricultural expansion, and this is at the expense of peasant production and pastoralism. Based on the authors' own ethnographic research and literature studies, the article presents two cases of agricultural expansion: the Mahaweli Development Programme in Sri Lanka, aimed at redeveloping small-scale agriculture, and the reorganisation of pastoralist areas into large-scale cash cropping areas in Ethiopia. The authors find that recent agricultural 'developers' have failed to acknowledge the role and value of the traditional agrarian economy, as well as the pressure put on small-scale farmers and pastoralists through increasing capitalism in agriculture, land grabbing, and expropriation for agri-business. In conclusion, despite the historical and cultural differences between Sri Lanka and Ethiopia, both countries exemplify how the expropriation of state land under colonialism and after has facilitated the development of capitalist agriculture, involving irrigation, new settlements and migration, cash cropping, land alienation, and external public and private control. In Sri Lanka, increasing capitalism and technical reforms have led to social inequity and de-agrarianisation among small-scale farmers. In Ethiopia, agricultural development has been a political and economic process of alienation and exploitation for pastoralists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-induced land degradation and impairment of ecosystem services (ES) are among the serious problems in Ethiopia due to excessive pressure on land and water resources. Thus, various land management (LM) practices have been done to enhance ES and environmental sustainability. However, very little is known about the influence of efficacious LM practices on multiple ES. This study aims at assessing the implication of LM practices on crop yield, soil carbon stock, soil fertility, soil moisture, runoff, soil loss, nutrient loss, and cultural/societal services. A systematic review and synthesis methods were employed. Predefined criteria were used to screen relevant articles; thereby, 572 observations from 94 studies were extracted and synthesized. The results showed that agronomic practices increased grain yields, soil carbon stock, soil fertility, and soil moisture on average by 28, 29, 43 and 14%, respectively. Biological practices regulated runoff, soil loss, and nutrient loss on average by 46, 59 and 94%, respectively. Overall, LM practices were efficacious to enhance delivery of ES bundles but soil bund and fanyaa juu reduced the grain yield on average by 24 and 22%, respectively. This indicates that there are trade-offs between provisioning and other services like regulating, supporting and cultural under physical structures. However, landscape-level collective impact of different LM practices exhibited without any ES trade-offs. The integration of properly designed physical structures with agronomic and biological practices is imperative to enhance ES and balance the trade-offs in the agricultural landscapes. Further, it is important to find out alternative combinations of agricultural LM practices and evaluate for ES delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types of risks are inherent in agricultural production. This study examines agricultural input risks faced by smallholder farmers in rural Ethiopia. It uses data from farm household surveys covering the period 1995–2015. The study uses a stochastic production function approach for estimating the mean production and risks of agricultural inputs. The mean production estimation results are consistent with the economic theory of conventional inputs. Land and labour have higher elasticities than the other inputs. The variance or risk estimation results show that fertilizers and labour are risk-decreasing inputs, while land is a risk-increasing input. Crop diversification has a risk-decreasing impact. The more farmers diversify their crops, the less is the yield variability. However, the risk variation effects of farm inputs vary across regions in the country. For example, risk-decreasing effects of fertilizers are high in the Oromia region, moderate in the Southern Nations and Nationalities and low in the Amhara regional state. Variations in regional input risks need to be considered in national agriculture risk management and food security efforts. The risk variation effects of these inputs decreased over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrated use of various levels of climate change adaptation practices is a means of increasing farm productivity to meet the food demand of the world's growing population without harming the environment. Both primary and secondary data were used. In the 2020/21 production year, primary data was collected from 461 sample households of East Hararghe Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, for the study. For data analysis, the study employed descriptive statistics and multinomial endogenous switching econometric model. Gender, education, extension, livestock holding, cooperatives, market information, soil fertility, farm land slopes, training on land management, climate change information, training, perception of land degradation, climate change perception, and weather road distance are estimated to have a significant influence on the probability of adopting different levels of climate smart practices. According to the impact evaluation results, adopting low levels of climate smart practices increases households' food and nutrition security by 28% and 4.3%, respectively. Adopting medium-level climate-smart practices boosts food and nutrition security by 43% and 20%, respectively. Adopting high and higher levels of climate smart practices increases food and nutrition security by 56% and 19%, respectively, over very low adopter households. As a result, policymakers should place a premium on climate change adaptation agricultural practices in order to improve rural households' livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversifying rural livelihoods plays a significant role for rain feed-dependent economy of the rural households like in Ethiopia. Hence the objective of the study was to investigate the determinants of rural households' livelihood diversification strategies choice in north wollo zone of Ethiopia. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to select 384 rural household heads as a sample in study areas. Primary data was collected from sample rural household heads using an interview schedule. Multivariate Probit Model was employed to identify the factors influencing the rural household heads' decision to choose livelihood strategies. The model result showed that agriculture livelihood strategy was positively and significantly associated with male headed household, land holding, cooperative membership, and participation in rural productive safety net program; while it is negatively and significantly affected by distance to market. Non-farm livelihood strategy was positively and significantly affected by dependency ratio, education level, total income, and remittance; while it is negatively and significantly affected by the sex of household head and participation in rural productive safety net program. Off-farm livelihood strategy was positively and significantly influenced by sex of household head; while it is negatively and significantly affected by the land holding, total livestock unit, cooperative membership, credit use, participation in rural productive safety net program. Therefore, the study recommends that local government should attempt to promote the above significant determinants of rural households' livelihood diversification strategies choice to build more profitable and sustainable livelihood strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying and characterizing the spatial distribution of freshwater availability and water scarcity plays an indispensable role in managing water resources in a basin. This study aimed at quantifying green and blue water resource availability using an eco-hydrological model under different land use land cover conditions between 2000–2010 and 2020 in the upper Awash basin, central Ethiopia. Further, the agricultural water scarcity is assessed for dominantly cultivated crops in the basin. The freshwater components such as the green water (GW) flow (∼1041–1240 mm/yr), blue water (BW) flow (277–304 mm/yr), and GW storage (809-872 mm/yr) were observed to be high in the western highlands compared to the central and eastern parts of the basin. The results of GW scarcity indices show low to moderate scarcity for rainfed crops, and moderate to significant BW scarcity for irrigated sugarcane. Integrating GW potential to reduce BW scarcity in the basin is thus crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to analyze future drought characteristics in meteorological, hydrology, and agricultural droughts under the impact of changing climate in the Kessie watershed, upper Blue Nile Basin, using three drought indices; Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI), Streamflow Drought Index (SDI) and Agricultural Standardized Precipitation Index (aSPI), respectively. The study used baseline data (1985–2014) and future (2041–2100) downscaled from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP-6) based on the three Global Climate Models (GCMs) projections under two scenarios of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) (SSP2-4.5, SSP5-8.5) with well-calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to simulate future streamflow for two future time horizons 2050s (2041–2070) and 2080s (2071–2100). Based on the yearly time scale, our results indicate that droughts of a high magnitude and rising frequency would affect most of the research area. These droughts will be either meteorological (RDI), agricultural (aSPI), or hydrological (SDI). Short-term agricultural and hydrological droughts are also anticipated to occur more frequently. The projected increases in frequency and trend of agricultural and hydrological droughts in this area are greater due to the anticipated drop in annual rainfall and the larger increase in mean annual temperature in the middle of Kessie. Furthermore, compared to hydrological and agricultural droughts, meteorological drought is less vulnerable to climate change; but, as the accumulation period lengthens, a stronger association develops between hydrological and agricultural droughts. These findings may be useful for water resources management and future planning for mitigation and adaptation to the climate change impact in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wise-use of land resources determines sustainability of environment and human welfare. But, the ongoing land-use change constrains environmental sustainability. Thus, this study aims to quantify past and future land-use change trend with its associated drivers in Koore's agricultural landscape of Southern Ethiopia. To quantify the change trends, geospatial tools were applied. A CA–Markov model was used to predict land-use changes. Relative Importance Index was used to identify major drivers of the change. The result of the study showed agroforestry, built-up and cultivation rise by 192%, 152% and 18% at the expense of natural environment. Population growth and agricultural expansion are among the leading land-use change drivers. CA–Markov model revealed a continued increment of anthropogenically modified land-use classes which adversely affect the sustainability of the landscape. Information on spatiotemporal dynamics has been confirmed as effectual measure for nature conservation, agriculture, urban planners, and policymakers to plan sustainable development actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farming is more than just a job of Ethiopia's smallholder farmers, who live in a low productivity environment. This study employed stochastic frontier approach agricultural efficiency in Ethiopia. Furthermore, Tobit model results show that loss due to wild animals had a negative impact on technical efficiency, while slope of the land and off-farm income had a positive impact. Regarding to the determinants of allocative efficiency, uses of mobile have positive impacts and the off-/ non-farm income have negative impacts. In terms of economic efficiency determinants, land slope has a positive influence, while loss due to wild animals and off-farm income have a negative influence. According to the study findings, farmers in the study area kill wild animals, such as monkeys, pigs, and apes, because the loss of wild animals has a high impact on agricultural production during the pre-harvest season. Thus to increase efficiency of farmers and boosting agricultural output, Ethiopian governments policies and strategies should be directed toward providing tourism, construction of soil bunds, tree planting, planting grass, fencing and use of natural fertilizer to maintain the fertility of steep slopes, and supporting farmers by providing network facilities for mobile users that boost farmers' maize productive efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results of experimental games with smallholder farmers in Tigray, Ethiopia, in 2010, in which participants in the games allocated money across risk management options. One of the options was index insurance that was the same as commercial products sold locally. Participants exhibited clear preferences for insurance contracts with higher frequency payouts and for insurance over other risk management options, including high interest savings. The preference for higher frequency payouts is mirrored in commercial sales of the product, with commercial purchasers paying substantially higher premiums than the minimal, low frequency option available. This combined evidence challenges claims that the very poor universally choose minimal index insurance coverage and supports concerns that demand may outpace supply of responsible insurance products. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examined the effects of research-based recommended cereal production practices on the technical efficiency of farm households based on household-level data generated from questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The technical efficiency scores were estimated using the stochastic meta-frontier approach because it allows addressing the expected differences in production technologies. Tobit regression framework was applied to identify factors related to farm inefficiency. Results showed mean technical efficiency of 58%, implying that the farm households can improve cereal output by about 36% with the current level of input mix and technologies. The t-test results revealed farm households who adopted high-yielding varieties with research-based recommended production practices were technically more efficient than their counterparts. Our econometric model results also indicated that the use of high-yielding varieties and research-based recommended seed rate affects the technical efficiency of farm households positively and significantly. In addition, we find gender, age, mobile telephone ownership, cooperative membership, access to input market, and crop damage as significant factors affecting the efficiency of farm households. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing technology adoption gaps and gender-based disparities, expanding access to information and modern inputs, strengthening social capital, and adopting climate change adaptation practices to improve the efficiency of farm households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In areas with inadequate improved water supply, irrigation water serves as an alternative water source for domestic uses in addition to its prime purpose of agricultural production. This increased water availability for the household can generate positive hygiene and health impacts, but poor irrigation water quality can be a source of domestic water contamination and can be harmful to human health. Using primary household survey data from two rural districts of Ethiopia, this study seeks to disentangle these opposite effects: the results show that irrigation is associated with poor household water quality (adjusted odds ratio 1.68, 95%, CI 1.07–2.66) and a lower risk of diarrheal disease (adjusted odds ratio 2.07, 95%, CI 1.24–3.44). Domestic use of irrigation water, however, does not further degrade the microbial quality of household water. On the other hand, the domestic use of irrigation water reduces the burden of water collection (p < 0.01). Providing education and training programs to foster behavioral change towards sustainable improvements in water resource management, such as the safe use of irrigation water for domestic purposes through appropriate point-of-use water treatment, would be crucial to maximize the benefits of the domestic use of irrigation water and to minimize adverse environmental and health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use a fixed-random coefficients regression model to analyse data for cereal growing small-scale farmers in efficiency Results show that land size is a major constraint and only small changes in cultivated area and land quality yield relatively high increments to output Larger farms are relatively less productive, everything else being equal Human capital in the form of literacy and experience are found to affect productivity positively Our findings show a high degree of farm-specific technical inefficiency With regard to the inputs we find high degrees of input-specific technical inefficiency, especially so for labour and fertilizer The age structure of the household, environmental factors and education are found to be weakly correlated with efficiency Furthermore, sharecropping is found to be positively correlated with technical efficiency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that climate and weather variability have negative impacts on agricultural production efficiency. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of climatic variables on farms' efficiency in Ethiopia making use of nationally representative datasets from Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) 2011/2012. By using the Stochastic Frontier Approach, we estimate simultaneously the farmers' optimal production function and technical inefficiency equations, taking into account unobserved heterogeneity of farmers. Our main findings show that climate change variables have a positive effect on households' efficiency but the impact depends on the different geo-climatic characteristics of the regions of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined factors constraining the use of mobile phones in accessing agricultural information by rural households in southern Ethiopia. A survey was employed to collect data from 320 randomly selected respondents. The result revealed that variables such as age, level of education, annual income, money spent on mobile phone per day; farm distance to the nearest town, ownership of mobile phones, mobile phone having handset FM radio and information need and seeking behaviour were important factors that affect the use of mobile phones in communicating agricultural information. The Bureau of Agriculture should consider these identified factors when designing strategies for dissemination of agricultural information using mobile phones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the process and analyses the results of a project in Ethiopia establishing an innovation platform (IP) as a tool for co-creation from an innovation systems perspective. The results are encouraging, suggesting positive effects both on yields, but more importantly on the capacity and role of participants as communicators and agents of change in the community. The IP seems promising in creating new networks and modes of communication. The importance of good facilitation, commitment by all members from the start, and feedback loops driving the process was found to be essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Afromontane forests of southwest Ethiopia are high in endemism and biodiversity. However, the increasing human population and expansion of agricultural land have led to deforestation. We evaluated the effects of land use change on species composition, species diversity and soil fertility. Woody and herbaceous plant species were recorded in natural forest, agroforestry and cropland at different altitudes, using 15 plots with three replicates. A total of 90 soil samples were taken. In total, 77 woody and herbaceous species have been recorded. The selective felling of trees and shrubs in the agroforestry system to favor coffee growth through enhanced light penetration also favors grass and herb diversity. A Factor Analysis based on the soil characteristics shows a gradient in soil fertility from both forests and agroforestry to croplands. The bulk density, pH, organic C, total N, available P, cation exchange capacity and base cations saturation of the forest soil are equivalent with that of agroforestry. However, forests and agroforestry are significantly different from croplands regarding those soil characteristics. Therefore, this study suggests that the agroforestry practices are important for keeping biodiversity and soil fertility at levels which are similar to the natural forest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study was carried out to better understand non-adoption of improved varieties of potato (Solanum tuberosum) and associated technologies by smallholder farmers in Chencha, Ethiopia. Data were collected through a survey (n = 47) and in-depth interviews (n = 20). It shows how wealth status was a factor of major importance. Most wealthy and some medium-wealthy farmers adopted improved potato varieties and many of the improved production practices; they had access to seed, associated knowledge and support, and sufficient resources that were necessary to apply the improved practices. Non-adoption was common among many medium-wealthy and most poor farmers: they lacked—next to access to the technologies and knowledge—cash, land, and labor. Results indicated the need to rethink research and intervention efforts. Next to paying attention to differences in the access to technology and the related knowledge, there is a need to consider the variation in technology needs, supporting microcredit services, and room to experiment. As a result, different combinations of improved production practices may be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The convergence of diverse global factors - food price volatility, the increased demand for biofuels and feeds, climate change and the financialisation of commodity markets - has resulted in renewed interest in land resources, leading to a rapid expansion in the scope and scale of (trans)national acquisition of arable land across many developing countries. Much of this land is on peripheral indigenous peoples' territories and considered a common property resource. Those most threatened are poor rural people with customary tenure systems - including indigenous ethnic minority groups, pastoralists and peasants - who need land most. In Ethiopia large areas have been leased to foreign and domestic capital for large-scale production of food and agrofuels, mainly in lowland regions where the state has historically had limited control. Much of the land offered is classified by the state and other elites as 'unused' or 'underutilised', overlooking the spatially extensive use of land in shifting cultivation and pastoralism. This threatens the land rights and livelihoods of ethnic minority indigenous communities in these lowlands. This article argues that recent large-scale land acquisitions are part of state strategy for enforcing political authority over territory and people. It examines the implications of such strategy for indigenous ethnic minority groups, focusing particularly on the Benishangul-Gumuz region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge on farmers’ perspectives is of paramount importance in order to design appropriate agricultural research and development interventions attuned to local farming systems. A participatory rural appraisal was conducted in order to understand perceived causes and indicators of soil acidity under multiple land-uses in three Districts of northwest Ethiopia. Soil samples were also collected from five dominant land-uses. The samples were analysed for soil pH, exchangeable acidity and other physico-chemical properties. The result indicated that the pH(H2O)of most of the soils in the study sites were in a strongly acidic range (4.6–5.5).Gashena Akayitaof theBanjaDistrict was the most acidic of all. Among the land-uses, eucalyptus fields were the most acidic followed by crop outfields and grazing lands in that order. At all the study sites, exchangeable Al was detected in soils having a pH of less than 5.0. Overall, the nutrient dynamics showed variation across land-uses and study sites. Farmers’ perceived causes of soil acidity included: soil erosion; contending use of fertility replenishing local resources; abandoning traditional fertility management practices and minimal use of external inputs. The farmers attributed the exclusive use of acid-forming inorganic fertilizers to exhaustion of the soil. Various land and soil characteristics, plant growth attributes, changes in genetic diversity were mentioned as indicators of soil acidity. Particularly, the farmers used prevalence of acidophilic weed species on crop fields and grazing lands as marker of strongly acidic soil. Farmers’ perceived causes and indicators were in agreement with scientific facts and can be utilized as input in designing sustainable acid soil management strategies. Decline in genetic diversity of the once widespread crop species and land races, and expansion of newly introduced soil acidity tolerant species, suggests the need to undertake rescue collections in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]