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The Ethiopia Strategy Support Program II (ESSP II) Working Papers contain preliminary material and research results from IFPRI and/or its partners in Ethiopia. The papers are not subject to a formal peer review. They are circulated in order to stimulate discussion and critical comment. The opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of their home institutions or supporting organizations.

This article explores the political and economic processes governing Ethiopian cereal seed systems. The nature of the Ethiopian agricultural sector, the historical evolution of the seed system and the seed specificities for each cereal crop have resulted in a wide range of actors with diverse linkages and policy processes. A series of economic and political drivers are identified, including top‐down state‐driven initiatives; agricultural liberalisation and the private sector and political‐administrative decentralisation, all of which pull in different directions. It is important that the technocrats, politicians, international donors and supporters understand these political and economic drivers of change and by addressing these conflicts and contradictions, they may improve the chances of designing and implementing more technically effective and socially appropriate policies. This will help establish a vibrant seed system which offers real choices for farmers in terms of seed type, quantity, and quality and delivery time at reasonable prices.

Men continue to test for HIV at a low rate in sub-Saharan Africa. Recent quantitative evidence from sub-Saharan Africa indicates that encouragement to test for HIV from men’s network members is associated with higher previous HIV testing and HIV self-testing (HIVST) willingness. Leveraging this positive network influence to promote HIVST among men is a promising strategy that could increase HIV testing. This study investigated the reasons and strategies men used to encourage their peers to test for HIV and the outcomes in order to inform the development of a social network-based HIVST intervention for men called STEP (Self-Testing Education and Promotion). Twenty-three men from networks locally referred to as “camps” were interviewed to explore reasons for encouraging HIV testing, strategies to encourage HIV testing, and outcomes of HIV testing encouragement. Reasons men reported for encouraging their peers to test for HIV included awareness of their peers’ risky sexual behavior, knowing an HIV-positive peer, and having HIV testing experience. Strategies for encouraging testing included engaging in formal and informal conversations and accompanying friends to the clinic. Encouragement outcomes included HIV testing for some men while others remained untested due to lack of privacy in the clinic and fear of HIV stigma. Willingness to self-test for HIV and an interest to educate peers about HIVST were other outcomes of HIV testing encouragement. These findings underscore the potential of leveraging men’s existing HIV testing encouragement strategies to promote HIVST among their peers.

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