Feature - Praise and misgivings over new gov't food programme

In just five years the Ethiopian government intends to slash dependency to ensure that 15 million people are no longer living a hand-to-mouth existence in need of food aid. But days after the release of its much-heralded New Coalition for Food Security strategy, critics are asking how realistic it is. “We think it is over-ambitious given the timeframe,” Akalewold Bantirgu deputy head of the Ethiopian Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA) told IRIN. “The kind of interventions mentioned are not new and many of us have been pursuing them for some time,” he said. “There is no capacity in government, particularly at the frontline levels, to manage such a huge programme and ensure that effective work is done." “And another of its shortcomings is that it doesn’t address current government policies and how they may have contributed to the problem,” he added. MAJOR TASK FORCE The new coalition marks the first time ever that food security experts have been brought together in one major task force. It comes amid growing local and international concern over the rapidly increasing scale of food aid requirements that need to be met each year in Ethiopia. For the last 15 years, Ethiopia has been dependent on an annual 700,000 mt of aid to meet the demands of its growing 67 million population. The 134-page strategy document – ideas that would be bankrolled by the international community to the tune of US $3 billion - spells out how to combat those food shortages. Dubbed the “Ethiopian Road Map”, the 60-strong coalition task force identifies eight factors that have compounded the food crisis – one of which is recurrent drought. It also states that limited alternatives for farmers, spiralling population growth, poor agricultural technology and small crop diversification are major causes of food shortages. Poor skilled manpower, environmental degradation and lack of credit to stimulate local economies are also listed as hurdles to ensuring lasting food availability to families. HAILED BY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY The government, United Nations and international donors have hailed the coalition programme which will eventually be finalised in November. Deputy Prime Minister Adisu Legese, who heads the task force, said the programme is key in “fighting poverty, arresting food insecurity” and thus breaking the dependency syndrome. World Bank head in Ethiopia Ishac Diwan also welcomed the new strategy. “This is a fertile time for action, and we commend the government for seizing the opportunity,” he said, adding that it spelt out important proposals for tackling development in the country. And Sam Nyambi, who heads the UN’s Development Programme (UNDP), described the coalition as a “major turning point” in tackling Ethiopia's chronic food shortages. “We need to do business differently to address the challenge of rural livelihoods and food security, and we believe that the new coalition is the right way forward,” said Nyambi. FARMERS SHOULD BE INVOLVED But some NGOs argue there should have been more involvement from impoverished farmers who are the focus of the new strategy. “The document by itself is not bad,” said Abey Hailu, who heads the international NGO Christian Aid in Ethiopia. He welcomed its “ambitious” aims, but called for an agricultural-style chamber of commerce to represent the country's farmers. “The food security issue in Ethiopia is not just a matter for donors and some privileged NGOs,” he said. “There are lots of groups who are extremely concerned by the situation.” “There are two key issues that are lacking," he added. He noted the need for tackling environmental problems and for a greater emphasis on the possibilities of irrigation. Akalewold of the CRDA, one of the two NGOs which attended the forum, told IRIN that the summit should have been broader in approach. He said without the involvement of the private sector, the findings would remain “artificial”. He also believes that a question mark hangs over the enormous and unchecked population growth in Ethiopia – which is growing at 1.8 million a year. In the five-year time frame for the project, the population will have grown by ten million. Gezahegn Kebede, of the international NGO Oxfam-UK, said moves to “interchange” food and handing out cash to vulnerable families was a positive step in ending dependency. But he added: “There is too much to be done in too short a time, so we really need to look at how this can be implemented.” The coalition is due to hold additional key strategy meetings, and the NGOs and civil society now hope to get some of their points on the agenda before the November meeting.