[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section” fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title admin_label=”Farming in Ethiopia: Using household-level data for global models” title=”on” meta=”off” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”on” featured_placement=”background” parallax_effect=”off” parallax_method=”on” text_orientation=”center” text_color=”dark” text_background=”on” text_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.73)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_css_main_element=”padding-bottom: 10px;” custom_padding=”15%||3%|” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section” fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”rgba(12,113,195,0.16)” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”TEASER” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n
Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia are especially vulnerable to the threats of climate change, but by expanding irrigation, providing subsidies for fertilizers, and investing in infrastructure, policymakers can improve smallholders\u2019 income and food security, IIASA research has shown. The work also provided input to the Global Biosphere Management Model, leading to insights into the effects of different policy measures regarding food security and poverty.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”BODY” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n In Ethiopia, 84% of the population lives in rural areas, where they produce 90% of the country\u2019s grain with, on average, less than one hectare of land per person. A rapidly increasing population, along with climate-related disasters like droughts, and competition for land, water, and energy, are threatening livelihoods and food security in the country.<\/p>\n In a study funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), IIASA researchers from the Ecosystems Services and Management Program set out to map the distribution of different types of smallholder farms in terms of poverty and food security. The team developed a new methodology based on: agro-ecological zone (i.e., biophysical environment and climate), farm size, main activities, and intensity of production.<\/p>\n The researchers analyzed the effects of three policy interventions on poverty and food security:<\/p>\n Overall, a combination of irrigation expansion with infrastructure development and fertilizer subsidy would be most beneficial for smallholder income and overall food security, the researchers found. The results showed that livestock-oriented systems are less profitable than crop-oriented systems and more prone to food-insecurity.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”BODY” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n\n