Investing in rural people in Ethiopia

IFAD’s strategy in Ethiopia focuses on providing smallholder farmers, pastoralists and agropastoralists with the critical assets they need to enhance productivity and resilience. These include natural resources, technology, finance, institutional capacity and access to markets.

Smallholder farmers’, agropastoralists’ and pastoralists’ institutions serve as key entry points in strengthening the ability of their members to engage profitably in commercially viable value chain relationships, including aggregators (traders, agroprocessors), service providers, input suppliers and rural financial institutions.

The strategy helps rural households raise their incomes and improve food security, while also increasing their contribution to the country’s economic development.

Two strategic objectives contribute to this goal:

• Enhance the resilience and productivity of ecosystems and livelihoods through improved management of natural resources, particularly water;
• Enhance linkages to the private sector to increase and sustain access to markets, finance and agricultural technology.