Improved grazing land management is vital to increasing food security and alleviating poverty. It also provides environmental benefits. To address these problems, the national Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) programme in Ethiopia initiated a grazing land management project in 2000. Implementation of the technology includes the initial delineating of the grazing land, and then fencing to exclude open access. This is followed by land preparation, application of compost (and, if necessary, inorganic fertilizers) to improve soil fertility. This is followed by planting of improved local and exotic fodder species, grass as well as legumes. Maintenance activities such as weeding, manuring and replanting ensure proper establishment and persistence. Fodder is cut and carried to stall-fed livestock. Once a year, grass is cut for hay, which is stored to feed animals during the dry season. The overall purpose of the intervention is to improve the productivity of grazing land and control land degradation through the introduction of productive techniques and improved fodder species, which consequently improve livestock production. Commercialization of animals and marketing of their products increases the income of farmers.