Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia: State Policy and Smallholder Farming

For thousands of years, Ethiopia has depended on its smallholding farmers to provide the bulk of its food needs. But now, these family-owned farms are under threat from climate change, environmental degradation, and declining productivity. As a result, they have increasingly become subsistence-oriented, with many of these farmers trapped in a cycle of poverty. At the same time, mainstream development policies have marginalized smallholders, even though they may hold the key to addressing rural poverty through agricultural reform.
This collection, written by leading Ethiopian scholars, explores the scope and impact of Ethiopia’s policy reforms over the past two decades on the smallholder sector. Focusing on the Lake Tana basin in northwestern Ethiopia, an area with untapped potential for growth, the contributors show that smallholders represent a vitally overlooked component of development strategy, not only in Ethiopia but also across the global South. They argue that any effective policy will need to go beyond agriculture to consider the role of health, nutrition, and local food customs, as well as including increased safeguards for smallholders’ land rights. Together they offer a new perspective on food security and sustainability, two of the most pressing issues currently facing global development efforts.