FOOD SECURITY IN ETHIOPIA
Food security programs such as agricultural training and food banks sustain the nutritional needs of communities through all seasons and any unforeseen environmental challenges.
All of the epicenters in Ethiopia have food banks, with an average capacity among them of 88,333 kilograms. Storing food in the food bank not only allows partners to wait to sell it until the market is better and they are able to receive a better price for it, but also provides a buffer against famine and unexpected food shortages.
Enemore and Jaldu Epicenters have bread ovens, these are the only two epicenters with food processing equipment, but this equipment allows epicenter partners to transform their crops into something that can be sold for more value at the market.
Five of the epicenters distribute fertilizer, and five also have revolving loan funds and farm stores. All six epicenters have a farmers’ union, co-op or association of some kind. Having this kind of organization is instrumental in improving the livelihoods of the partners, as it gives them more bargaining power and control over prices at market.
Most of the epicenters use drip irrigation, two use roof water collection and one is waiting for a pump irrigation system to be fixed. All of the epicenters have partners that raise cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chicken, and grasscutters, and all but one keep bees – The Hunger Project-Ethiopia says that a very integrated farming approach is traditional in Ethiopia, and is also sustainable and very climate resilient.
The main crops grown in Ethiopia are maize, teff, sorghum, barley, enste, pulses, palm oil and wheat.