Food Security Programme 2010-2014.

The long-term Goal to which the present Food Security Programme (2010-2014) expects to make a substantial contribution is to improve food security for chronic and transitory food insecure households in rural Ethiopia. In making progress towards achieving this Goal, the Programme also expects to make contributions to the objectives of the Government’s Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty and to play a role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (particularly Goal 1: To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger). The Programme will also contribute to and link with the Government of Ethiopia’s Strategic Investment Framework (ESIF) for Sustainable Land Management (SLM), as well as the Agricultural Growth Framework.
Chapter 2 establishes that the Food Security Programme has six Outputs as follows: 1) Food consumption assured and asset depletion prevented for male and female members of chronic and transitory food insecure households; 2) Income sources diversified and productive assets enhanced for food insecure households; 3) Access to adequate enabling infrastructure, services and natural environment secured by food insecure population; 4) Confidence, knowledge and skills of food insecure people; 5) Institutional capacity to manage the FSP and effectively link wider processes and other programmes achieved; 6) Access to adequate food, income and enabling infrastructure, services and natural environment secured for resettled households.
The Federal Food Security Strategy which is still valid rests on three pillars, which are: 1) Increase supply or availability of food; 2) Improve access/entitlement to food; (3) Strengthening emergency response capabilities (Chapter 1.3. Food Security Strategy).Within the framework of the Complementary Community Investment Component (CCI), activities shall focus, inter alia, on nutrition, health education and water resource development so that all people in Ethiopia shall reach a state of nutritional well-being.
The underlying causes of the persistent food insecurity in Ethiopia are multifold. Droughts and other disasters (such as floods) are significant triggers, more important are the factors which create and/or increase vulnerability to these shocks and which have undermined livelihoods. These factors include land degradation, limited household assets, low levels of farm technology, lack of employment opportunities and population pressure. As a consequence, but also exacerbating the situation, levels of education are low and disease prevalence is high. Prior to 2005, the typical response to this persistent food insecurity was emergency relief resourced through an unpredictable annual appeals process (Chapter 1.1)
One of the focuses of the afore-mentioned Strategy is to enhance food entitlements of the most vulnerable sections of society, i.e. low-income households. Under entitlement there are three elements: supplementary employment income support schemes, targeted programmes for the disadvantaged groups and nutrition intervention.
Chapter 2 establishes the following as most vulnerable in society: 1) Women: Both women headed households and women within male headed households will be specifically targeted by the programme; 2) Youth: The rural youth represent a large and diverse category of people who face particular constraints as they seek to make a livelihood; 3) Pastoral communities: Pastoral communities are expected to benefit significantly from a special programme. In particular greater emphasis will be on supporting pastoral risk management.
As it has been said the present Programme in the long run intends to improve food security for poor households. But on the other hand, the Extension Service shall adopt a demand driven approach with respect to household investments and income generating activities that provides poor households with access to interventions that are tailored to their needs and interests. On- and off-farm investment and income generating activities promoted for very poor and poor households will be appropriate in terms of their technical and labour capacity, be of relatively low risk, be capable of building up assets in a relatively short period of time, be financially viable and provide returns sufficient to cover loan repayments within the specified time.
Chapter 3 on Implementation emphasizes that monitoring and evaluation shall focus, inter alia, on mainstreaming of gender and environment issues and procurement. .
The Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is important for implementing the short, medium and long term development strategy of the rural economy. The underlying rationale of the aofre-mentioned TVET is thus to generate educated, environmentally conscious and entrepreneurial farmers that will enhance food security in a sustainable manner. Also elsewhere in the Programme it is underlined that the application of the Environmental and Social Management Framework in pastoral areas must focus on ensuring environmental sustainability (particularly with regards to water and pasture), livestock mobility and conflict prevention.
Chapter 3 lays down provisions relating to Programme Management, Coordination and Implementation and makes provisions for: 1) Institutional Arrangement; 2) Financial Management and flow of funds; 3) Programme Planning; 4) Physical and Non-Physical Means; 5) Programme Monitoring and Evaluation ; 6) Accountability for Programme Performance.
The text consists of 3 Chapters: Background (1); Programme Strategy and Scope (2); Programme Management, Coordination and Implementation (3).