Activities in Ethiopia

Facilitator leading a discussion at a FFS in the Oromia Region

Ethiopia is an agricultural country where more than 80% of its people are farmers. Therefore, agricultural development in Ethiopia is important and requires environmental consciousness in order for the sector to sustainably develop. Traditionally, Ethiopian smallholder farmers practice inappropriate agricultural methods that cause soil erosion, deforestation and low productivity. However, as Ethiopia's GDP grows and the agricultural sector rapidly develops to keep up with increased production, farmers must learn how to conserve their environment while producing more crops. The Project for Sustainable Natural Resource Management through Farmers Field Schools in the Rift Valley Area of Oromia Region started in 2012 under the Oromia Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development with the cooperation of JICA. The project is currently in the implementation stage and is setting up Farmers Field Schools (FFS) and organizing local farmers into self-learning groups in two woredas (Liben Chikuala & Bora). The FFS serves as a participatory approach to sustainably managing natural resources through agroforestry and soil conservation measures for agrarian communities. JICA trains the facilitators of FFS to support the group and their exchange of ideas, comparative technologies and agricultural methodologies. Farmers that participate in the FFS learn crop diversification techniques and production efficiency, while protecting their environment. The purpose of the NRM-FSS project is to strengthen the Ethiopian government agricultural policy towards sustainable land, soil and water conservation in semi-arid areas of Oromia Region. By working with the farmers directly and giving them the ownership to protect their environment, this technical cooperation project will not only conserve the environment, but will also improve the capacity of farmers and increase their productivity.

• Semi-Arid/Lowland Forestry Development Project – Verification Phase – (PDF/289KB)