AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY POLICY IN ERITREA - AN ANALYSIS

Rena, Ravinder (2005): AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY POLICY IN ERITREA - AN ANALYSIS. Published in: African Journal of Food Agriculture, Nutrition and Development(AJFAND) , Vol. 7, No. 5 (10 August 2007): pp. 1-17.

Abstract

The main economic activity of the people of Eritrea is agriculture: crop production and livestock herding. Agriculture mainly comprises mixed farming and some commercial concessions. Most agriculture is rain-fed. The main rain-fed crops are sorghum, millet and sesame, and the main irrigated crops are all horticultural crops like bananas, onions and tomatoes and cotton. The major livestock production constraints are disease, water and feed shortages and agricultural expansion especially in the river frontages. The agricultural sector employs eighty percent of the working population, but its production has not managed to cover internal food demand and is forced to cover nearly 50 per cent of its annual cereal requirements through imports-commercial and food assistance. Like most African countries, Eritrea is also a victim of the problem of food insecurity. In good years the country produces only about 60 per cent of its total food needs and in poor years, it produces no more than 25 per cent. On average, once in 10 years, the country is threatened with famines.

Annual crop production depends on rainfall that is variable and unevenly distributed from year to year. Therefore, the primary goal of Eritrea is to guarantee food security by introducing modern technology, irrigation, terracing, soil and water conservation, with less dependence on rainwater. Thus the Government has articulated its food policy, which stresses national ownership of grant food assistance and to achieve food security in the coming five years. The policy indeed encompasses all sectoral policies and represents the Government’s engagements with regard to food security. Despite the general trends of improvement in the economy of Eritrea, it has not yet fully recovered, and thus will still continue to require variable degrees of food assistance for the coming few more years. Based on this historical and recurrent food insecurity in Eritrea, an attempt is made in this paper to assess the agriculture development and food policy in the country. Furthermore, the paper captures the available food security policy proposals of Eritrea and eventually draws conclusions.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Agriculture, Food Security, Food Policy, Eritrea, Agriculture Technology
• Subjects: Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q16 - R&D ; Agricultural Technology ; Biofuels ; Agricultural Extension Services; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J4 - Particular Labor Markets > J43 - Agricultural Labor Markets; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure ; Land Reform ; Land Use ; Irrigation ; Agriculture and Environment; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q14 - Agricultural Finance; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy

References

1.Government of Eritrea Macro Policy Document. Government Press, Asmara, Eritrea. 1994.

2.Ayumu Y Fiscal Sustainability - the Case of Eritrea. IMF Working Paper WP/04/7. 2004: 3-5.

3.World Bank Eritrea: Options and Strategies for Growth, Report No. 12930 - ER, East Africa Department, Washington, D.C. World Bank, 1994.

4.Rena R Eritrean Agriculture: Prospects and Challenges. Eritrea Profile, 2002; 9: 5-6.

5.Rena R A Handbook on the Eritrean Economy: Problems and Prospects for Development. Dar Es Salaam, New Africa Press, 2006: 52-104.

6.Rena R Emerging Eritrean Agriculture in Accordance with Global Competition: A Case Study on Elabered Estate. Osmania J. of Socl. Scie. 2004; 4: 34-44.

7.Rena R Green Revolution: Indian Agricultural Experience - Paradigm for Eritrea.Eritrean Studies Review, 2004; 4: 103-130.

8.Rena R Community Development and Food Security in Eritrea – A Focus on Zoba Debub. Eritrea Profile, 2005; 12: 4.

9.Ministry of Agriculture of Eritrea Food and Environment Security in Eritrea. Asmara, 1997.

10. Bojo J Land Degradation and Rehabilitation in Eritrea. Washington, DC.World Bank,1996.

11. FAO/ MoA. Crop Assessment Report 1992-1999, FAO and MoA, Asmara, 1999.

12. Hansen A and DE McMillan Food in Sub-Saharan Africa. USA, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1986.

13. Timmer CP Food Policy Analysis. The Johns Hopkins University Press for the World Bank, Baltimore. 1983.

14. Leblanc M Concept of a Food Security Policy. Available at http://www.resal.org/Download/report/mission/Nei/0799Stnis.pdf. 1999.

15. Piccioni N The Commitment of a Young Nation: Eritrea and follow-up to the World Food Summit, UK. Cab International, 1997.

16. Iannotti L, Ferris-Morris M, Lucas K and R Edward Case Study: Eritrea. Linking Food Security and Nutrition. Washington, D.C. World Bank, 1998.

17. World Bank. Poverty and Hunger: Issues and Options for Food Security in Developing Countries. Washington D.C. World Bank, 1986.

18. Ministry of Agriculture of Eritrea Agricultural Sector Policy and Strategy Framework: Background and Context Development and Management. Asmara, The Government of the State of Eritrea, 2002.

19. FAO. Report of the Regional NGO Consultation for Africa on the World Food Summit, WFS/ARC/NGO/REP, FAO, Rome, 1996.

20. FAO. Special Program for Food security (SPFS): Rationale, Objectives and Approach, PFS/ Doc/4, FAO, Rome, 1996.

21. Ministry of Agriculture of Eritrea Agriculture Sector Review. Asmara, 2001.

22. Government of Eritrea Eritrea: Food Security Strategy. Ministry of National Development, Asmara, 2004: 16-28.

23. Rena R Challenges for Food Security in Eritrea: A Descriptive and Qualitative Analysis. Afr Devpmt Review, 2005; 17: 193-212.