International Journal of Agriculture and Food Security (IJAFS) ISSN : 0812-3497, Vol. 7(1), pp. 189-192, January, 2021.  © Advanced Scholars Journals

Review Paper

Practical Actions and Viable Strategies to Improve Food Security and Alleviate Poverty in Ethiopian Highlands

Betru Nedessa

Former World Food Program (WFP) Supported MERET Project Coordinator (1997-2019), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ethiopia; and Natural Resources Management, Agriculture and Livelihoods Specialist.

*Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected]

Accepted 25^th January, 2021

 Abstract

The Ethiopian highlands, which constitute less than 50% of the total area of the country, are hosting about 90% of the country's total human population and two-thirds of the livestock population. Population pressure is so high and increasing at an alarming rate resulting in reduced size of land holding and hence putting too much pressure on the natural resources that in turn reduced agricultural productivity and income. The consequences have been severe land degradation, deterioration of productivity, food insecurity and poverty leading to lack of resilience to environmental shocks such as the recurrent droughts and climate change. This requires the integration and application of range of strategies and best practices having complementarily and synergy to optimize productivity and income, intensify agricultural productivity and diversify livelihoods to alleviate poverty and hunger among the farming communities and ensure long‐term food security while sustainably managing the natural resources.

Key words: The Ethiopian highlands, population pressure, severe land degradation, food insecurity and poverty, optimize productivity and income, intensify agricultural productivity, and diversify livelihoods.