The Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) programme, which is housed in the Agrifood Economics Division (ESA) at FAO, has kicked off its new phase of technical and policy support together with the Government of Ethiopia.

Over the next five years, and through an evidence-based approach, the MAFAP programme will help monitor, prioritize and reform policies and investments to support the country’s revised Agriculture and Rural Development Policy, with a view to strengthen interventions in the areas of food security and nutrition, poverty reduction, agrifood sector growth, and youth and women employment in the sector. 

Welcoming high-level representatives from ministries, government institutions and stakeholders who gathered at the launch in Addis Ababa, FAO Representative in Ethiopia Farayi Zimudzi said: “I am pleased to see MAFAP will be supporting the Government of Ethiopia to implement the upcoming Agriculture and Rural Development Policy, a major milestone for the sector”. “This kind of technical and policy support is core to our country work and aligned with new FAO’s Strategic Framework to build more sustainable and efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind,” added Zimudzi.

On behalf of the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, H.E. Efa Muleta Boru, State Minister underscored the fact that the project plays an important role in fostering Ethiopia’s agricultural sector through policy instruments. “The Ethiopian Government has set out its agricultural development agenda in the nation’s ten-year plan, which seeks to transform it into an exemplary African Prosperity Initiative. This project will therefore contribute to the realization of this vision through addressing policy gaps”, said the State Minister.

Marco V. Sánchez, Deputy Director of Agrifood Economics at FAO, highlighted the momentum for repurposing public policies and strong ties on agricultural policy reform, said: “Globally, there is huge momentum for countries to rethink, repurpose and reform their policies on food and agriculture. Ethiopia is a long-standing partner country where we have helped on several policy reforms, so we are pleased to renew the MAFAP programme, standing ready to support the government with economic analyses and policy advice, aiming to guide the government on its path to inclusive agricultural transformation, better nutrition and easier market access for farmers". 

Additionally, MAFAP will help the government prioritize investments in the sector through a new tool that can channel public money towards the development and marketing of commodities and priority areas, such as infrastructure, irrigation, extension, mechanization, fertilizer, seeds, to have the highest positive impact on inclusive agricultural transformation.

Ethiopia is a long-standing partner country of the MAFAP programme. Over the years, this support has focused on agricultural marketing and trade reforms, as well economic analyses on investment plans for Ethiopia’s integrated agro-industrial parks.

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