Policy Dialogue Explores Promise of Urban Agriculture in Ethiopia
Group photo of participants in the May 23, 2024 policy dialogue.
The practice of cultivating food in densely populated cities has potential to alleviate poverty and food insecurity, yet there are myriad challenges and roadblocks unique to urban agriculture. To examine recent research on the topic, Policy LINK’s Champions for Food Security (C4FS) Ethiopia activity, in collaboration with Policy Studies Institute (PSI), hosted a policy dialogue forum in Addis Ababa May 23, 2024.
A group of more than 30 state and non-state actors gathered to validate the outputs of scientific studies carried out by PSI in Ethiopia, identify and prioritize policy intervention action points, and determine key policy actors and their roles in implementing policy actions.
Urban agriculture is defined in the PSI study as including not only traditional crop cultivation, but also animal husbandry, aquaculture, beekeeping, and horticulture. The research was carried out in the large cities of Addis Ababa, Adama, Bahir Dar, Hawassa and Bihsoftu.
According to the studies, urban agriculture contributes significantly to farmers’ increased income and employment prospects and improves food security.
The studies also identified major barriers in the implementation of urban agriculture in Ethiopia. “Among the challenges identified include lack of access to credit, other inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, improved seeds, extension services, urban agriculture policies and strategies, integrated urban plans, as well as well-organized and empowered institutions that have good structure at all levels of government,” stated Dr. Ashagrie Gibtan of PSI.
The study suggested indoor and vertical farming as an important means to enhance citizen’s food security in urban settings. Discussions included rainwater harvesting and water recycling systems as more practical alternatives to groundwater, which is a scarce resource in cities like Addis Ababa.
Participants explored questions about designated areas for urban agriculture, how marketing can support revenue creation from urban agriculture, and the roles and responsibilities related to policymaking. Inquiries on potential health risks linked to urban agriculture and the need for additional research were also emphasized by the participants.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Ashagrie, on behalf of the Deputy Director General of PSI, described how the institute conducted a situational analysis on urban agriculture in Ethiopia in collaboration with Addis Ababa University, Kotebe University of Education, and the Ministry of Labor and Skills.
Professor Mengistu Ketema, CEO of Ethiopian Economic Association, in his keynote address, discussed the importance of the Network for Ethiopian Policy Analysis and Research in Agriculture and Food Systems (NET-PARAF) in the of validation of PSI’s agricultural research outputs. NET-PARAF was established in May 2023 with support from C4FS to foster collaboration among policy system actors to facilitate evidence-informed policymaking in the agriculture and food systems sectors in Ethiopia.
Other presenters included the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute (EIAR) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), whose research results and experiences were presented as additional evidence to facilitate the dialogue.
According to a Ministry of Agriculture representative, Mr. Sileshi Bekele, the state minister’s advisor and Lead CEO of Urban Agriculture, the ministry is developing strategies to ensure the sustainability of urban agriculture.
Participants suggested the outputs of this forum, along with further discussions at the federal and regional levels, as a basis for continued engagement of multiple stakeholders to design a comprehensive Urban Agriculture Policy for the country.
Read more about Policy LINK’s work in Ethiopia here.