FAO Agricultural Development Economics Technical Study, No. 15.

Identifying the pathways through which agricultural investments can be sustainable and inclusive requires assessments of the poverty, livelihoods and food security situation of the populations likely to be affected by such investments. This technical study provides the first in-depth look at rural areas in Ethiopia using the 2018/19 Ethiopian Socio-economic Survey, analyzing the national trends in poverty among rural households along the dimensions of economic inclusion and social sustainability. The study offers an initial characterization of poor and food-insecure people in the country and gives indications of key characteristics that may identify the poorest and most vulnerable groups, analyzed through the lens of the key features of the investments in Ethiopia’s newly developed Agro-Commodity Procurement Zones (ACPZs).

The profile complements existing poverty analyses undertaken for Ethiopia, providing an analysis of poverty that is relevant to the investments in ACPZs and agriculture more broadly. Specific emphasis is placed on agricultural production regimes, especially those related to the priority commodities of the ACPZs and their relevance in terms of food and nutrition security. The constraints faced by specific population groups of interest, including rural women and youth, are also identified to inform questions concerning the inclusiveness of investments in ACPZs. Adequate attention to the issues raised in this technical study, complemented with territorial-level investigations, will serve as a basis for developing a knowledge base and targeting tools and interventions that can be operationalized by stakeholders in these investment areas.