Biophysical, Socio-Economic, and Institutional Constraints for Production and Flow of Cereals in Ethiopia

Abstract

This article an outcome of a study on "Biophysical, Socio-Economic, and Institutional Constraints for Production and Flow of Cereals in Ethiopia." The findings of the study were based on literature review and secondary data and information collected from different sources. The general objective of the study is to assess the biophysical, socio-economic, and institutional constraints for production and flow of cereals in Ethiopia. The study concludes that there is strong conceptual linkage between ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change and food security in Ethiopia; there is interplay among bio-physical, socio-economic, and institutional constraints for production and flow of cereals in Ethiopia; there are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the current Ethiopian agricultural development policy and strategies in addressing the constraints for production and flow of cereals; there are increasing trends of major cereals' mean annual production in Ethiopia; and the food security situation of Addis Ababa is very much affected by increase of mean annual prices of major cereals in Addis Ababa grain market. Hence, addressing the identified biophysical, socio-economic, and institutional constraints for production and flow of cereals is of paramount importance for sustainable production and flow of cereals and insuring food security in Ethiopia.

Challenges of Smallholder Farming in Ethiopia and Opportunities by Adopting Climate-Smart Agriculture

“…Another constraint is the inefficient transfer of knowledge, skills, and technologies from governmental institutions and development agencies to the local farming communities [23,68]. Smallholder farmers are often afraid of adopting new practices before seeing clear evidence of successes and getting clear explanations regarding benefits and risks of the practices [6,7,41]. For instance, it is still a great challenge to adopt methods of water harvesting and small-scale irrigation technologies in Ethiopia.…”

“…Since Ethiopia has five institutional levels (federal, regional, zonal, woreda, and kebele), the CRGE should also consider these structural administrative levels [80]. Second, agricultural development policy and strategy should carefully consider the specific issues related to small-scale farming and should place more emphasis on capacity-building, information dissemination systems, and institutional and financial support [6]. Third, formulating policies and strategies that promote the adoption of CSA should better consider the differing characteristics of climatic conditions and agro-ecology that are found across the country (e.g., different rainfall and temperature patterns) [3,167].…”

“…However, these farms are facing various constraints that hamper crop productivity. Major constraints include poor soil fertility, severe land degradation, high dependence on rainfall, low availability and poor quality of seeds and fertilizers, economic constraints like low income and lack of financial support, as well as insufficient policies and guidelines [3,6,7]. Weather phenomena related to climate change like severe drought and heavy rainfall also affect the agricultural sector.…”

“…However, despite these potential benefits CSA is only practiced in some areas of Ethiopia and has not been sufficiently adopted by smallholder farmers [14,22]. This is partly attributed to available labor, knowledge, and level of education [4,23,24], but a shortage of funds as well as policy constraints are further important aspects [6]. Although Ethiopia's agriculture has enjoyed increasing governmental support over the years [25], especially land tenure policy and financial and price support schemes are described as being insufficient or ineffective.…”

Climate smart agriculture technologies adoption among small-scale farmers: a case study from Gujarat, India

“…Second, increasing farmers' knowledge and awareness of CSA technologies through capacity-building programs, training workshops, and extension services is crucial. Providing farmers with the necessary information and skills empowers them to make informed decisions and overcome barriers related to knowledge gaps (Ogato, 2014).…”