The Agricultural and Rural Development Policies and Strategies (ARDPS) were developed in 2002 with a view to improving rural land administration and reducing the country’s vulnerability to drought. The Food Security Strategy was also developed with special attention to increasing the supply of food, improving access to food and strengthening Ethiopia’s emergency response capability. The strategy attempts to enhance and scale up safety net measures, encourage participatory development and social mobilization, and provide for environmental protection, management and rehabilitation, among other things.

Attempts to support the efforts of ensuring food security through rehabilitating and enhancing the natural resources base have in many respects fallen short of expectations. In this regard, an integrated effort is yet to be made to achieve a conservation-based approach to ensuring food security and creating employment opportunities.