CASE STUDY: FOOD INSECURITY AND FAMINE IN ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia’s silent famine,  The Ethiopian government hidden the extent of the food crisis happened  Dismissed the word “famine”  Admitted that about 6.2 millions of Ethiopians need food aid

Restrictions  Limiting work permits and visas for foreigners  Limiting access to relief centers  Preventing foreign aid agencies from making independent assessment of malnutrition

Areas affected

The causes for food insecurity 1.Drought and flooding Mid-June to mid September-”kiremit”-wet seasons 90% of the country’s rain falls Flooding caused by EL Nino October to May-dry seasons In 2008 & 2009 rain was late to arrive and the dry season prolonged

The cause for food insecurity 2. Shortage of land Rapid population growth resulted in sub division of land There is small incentives for farmers to improve such small plots

The cause for food insecurity 3. Land degradation Over population → overgrazing and over cultivation → soil exposure → wind and water erosion Around 28% is either degraded or severely degraded (FAO) tonnes of soil eroded in the uplands 40 sheep are grazed on 0.1hectares of land Traditionally soil structure and fertility were maintained using dung

The cause for food insecurity 4. political conflict Ongoing conflict with Eritrea and Somalia Has disrupted infrastructure and access to market and food. Diverted national government money away from agriculture

The cause for food insecurity 5. Food aid Emergency aid other than assistance aid USA-largest donor-aid comes with sacks of grain  Dependency  Undercut market for locals  Reduce their income  Can not decide on what is appropriate for them  Largest food aid programs, but the lowest rate of official aid per capita in sub Saharan Africa

The cause for food insecurity 6. Population growth Africa’s second populous country( more than 85 million people) Doubled in the past 25 years (Malthusian increase) Highest average fertility

The cause for food insecurity 7. Rise in world food price Price of maize doubled, and wheat has gone up by 40% (WFP, 2008) Unable to afford to buy the staple food they need to keep going.

The cause for food insecurity 8.Terms of trade Agriculture 50% of GDP, 85% of export,80% of employment Coffee provides 35% of Ethiopia's foreign exchange

Solutions Improving health service Improving access to food by increasing farm and off-farm income Intensive farming improving crop and animal production through irrigation Diversifying crop and animal production Improving access to micro-credit mechanisms Developing “safety-net” programs to limit the erosion of productive capacity in the event of the crisis

Works cited GEOGRAPHY COURSE COMPANION