FARM AFRICA 2016-2023:Integrated approach , G4F and N4D

The following are the key achievements across the main thematic areas. 1. Environmental impacts Results have been achieved in forest management, biodiversity conservation, rehabilitation of degraded lands, soil and water conservation, green energy, climate adaptation and mitigation, and environmentally friendly agricultural practices. The programme has successfully contributed to the reduction of deforestation rates, leading to the preservation of forest ecosystems and associated biodiversity resources. The implementation of biogas technologies and improved cook stoves have provided green energy for cooking and lighting and also to subsequent carbon emissions reductions by reducing the volume of biomass burnt. The construction of check dams and comprehensive land husbandry approaches have conserved soil, rehabilitated degraded lands, and reduced sedimentation in lakes. The promotion of environmentally friendly agricultural practices has also led to proportion of farmers adopting less polluting/persistent agrochemicals contributing to environmental safeguarding. The improved rangeland management efforts have restored biodiversity and wildlife species; it has also contributed to livelihood objectives of local communities and halted illegal activities in parks- considered by local government organizations as an exemplary solution that could be replicated across the country. More concrete impact-level, environmental results include the following: a) The annual deforestation rate in the Majang forest reserve has been reduced from 0.4% to 0.02%. b) The deforestation rate in the central Rift Valley area decreased from 0.93% to 0.90%. c) The implementation of 89 biogas technologies has provided access to green energy, generating 409 MWh of energy for cooking and lighting services. 240 tons of bio-slurry have been produced for use as organic fertilizer. The estimated impact of these interventions is the equivalent of: avoidance of approximately 356 tCO2 equivalent emissions; saving 29 hectares of land from deforestation; and preserving 366 tons of biomass from burning as fuel wood. d) The dissemination and use of 1,509 improved cook stoves (Mirt stoves) have resulted in the avoidance of (an estimated) 5,375 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions and the saving of 5,780,979 kg of biomass over the past three years. e) The proportion of households who use renewable energy increased from 39% to 75%. f) Through the development of 6,667m3 capacity check dams, an estimated 28,988 m3 of soil has been saved/trapped and avoided from silting up the lakes. g) 1,137 hectares of severely degraded land have been rehabilitated and 792.5 hectares of non-productive land was converted into productive land through a comprehensive land husbandry (CLH) approach. This effort has contributed to the reduction of sedimentation in lakes and the creation of jobs for youth to engage in fruit trees and fattening. h) Currently, 55% of farmers are using only non-toxic or least toxic agrochemicals. i) Improved rangeland management of 583 hectares of barren land has led to enhanced biodiversity and the return of wildlife such as Minilik's Bushbuck, Warthog, Hippopotamus, Wildcat, and various bird species. As a result of sustainable rangeland management, the restoration of springs has also been evidenced. j) The participatory solution addressed the longstanding conflict between community and government-led park management contributed to peacebuilding (in Abjata-Shalle National Park). 2. Poverty reduction & nutrition security The G4F programme has greatly contributed to poverty reduction in various parts of Ethiopia. Targeting the most vulnerable groups, the projects lifted thousands of households from chronic poverty. Evaluation reports (Annex 4) show that, in many of the project areas, the average Poverty Probability Index (PPI) score showed substantial reduction in the likelihood of the households living below the poverty line. Effective implementation of productivity enhancement, income diversification, access to finance and improved market systems, job creation, and other components of the integrated development works have contributed to the marked success in reducing poverty. The programme has contributed to enhancing food and nutrition security. The improved average household dietary diversity scores indicate that more households are incorporating a wider range of nutritious foods into their meals. A significant number of households now have multiple sources of income, implying a diversification of their livelihoods. Notable advancement was made in ensuring year-round access to an adequate food supply for urban families, ultimately strengthening overall food security. Some of the key results include: a) The average dietary diversity index increased from 4.16 to 7.3 across five regional states of the programme interventions. The average household dietary diversity score for the Central Rift Valley landscape management project was 7 (78% of the lifetime target), and for the Majang forest project, it was 8 (133% of the lifetime target); b) The average Poverty Probability Index (PPI) score of target households in the CRV area was 43.3%, indicating a poverty likelihood of 16.1%, while in Majang, the average PPI score is 35.3% (87% of the lifetime target), corresponding to a poverty likelihood of 25.8%; c) The proportion of households with more than one source of income has reached 83% (109% of the lifetime target) in CRV and 75% in Majang; d) The proportion of low-income households in the urban agriculture project with year-round access to sufficient food for their family needs increased from 43% to 51%. The above outcomes can be attributed to several factors, including enhanced nutritious food production and productivity, livelihood diversification, implementation of various income-generating activities (IGAs), improved market linkages, health education initiatives, women's empowerment efforts, increased access to finance through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), and heightened awareness within the target community regarding feeding practices. 3. Agricultural production and productivity The implementations of climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices resulted in positive impacts on agricultural productivity and production and resilience against climate- and other shocks. Farmers have embraced a wide range of sustainable practices. The adoption of improved agricultural practices has enhanced farmers' knowledge and understanding of sustainable practices and mechanisms for achieving livelihood enhancement, while harmonizing agricultural and environmental objectives. Some of the specific key results are the following: a) Farmers adopted an average of 21 Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), compared to the initial baseline of 5 practices and surpassing the lifetime target of 20. b) The proportion of target beneficiaries with knowledge of urban agriculture showed improvement, rising from 20% to 100%. c) The average productivity of widely grown crops (Teff, chickpeas, maize, wheat, sunflower, haricot bean, ginger, pepper, and mung bean) increased, ranging from 64% to 150% compared to the lifetime target. d) A 64% increase in average crop yield for vegetables registered, specifically for tomatoes and onions. e) The profitability of selected crops per hectare exhibited, with an average increase from 17,473 ETB to 178,968 ETB (nominal). 4. Economic impact The project beneficiaries experienced increase in household income, indicating that they are moving out of extreme poverty (in reference to the international poverty line provided by the World Bank of $2.1 per day per person). This economic impact is attributable to various factors, including enhanced skill and knowledge capacity of farmers on improved agricultural practices and access to improved agri inputs and technologies, climate-smart agriculture, improved land and water management, improved market systems and diversified livelihoods. The improved access to agricultural inputs, increased number of farmers benefiting from agro-dealers, and higher connectivity to high-value markets have collectively enhanced agricultural productivity and food security. The projects have facilitated improved access to finance, increased savings and loan opportunities, enhanced financial inclusion, and the promotion of economic activities, particularly for women and youth. The following are the major evidence that substantial the successes. a) The average annual gross income of households in the programme intervention areas has significantly increased from the average baseline value. This was particularly the case with communities who practised climate smart agriculture and small-scale irrigation. b) Proportion of households with more than one source of income reached 83%. c) Access to agricultural inputs in terms of timely availability and sufficient quantity from the local market has improved from 38% at baseline to 68%. d) Total number of farmers served by agro-dealers, who can obtain agricultural inputs from their nearest market annually, increased from 18,000 to 70,000. e) Proportion of smallholder farmers connected to high-value markets through market information has increased significantly, reaching 86.2%. f) Proportion of smallholder farmers with access to finance has increased from 49% to 94.4%. A total of 8,928 members (70% women), organized into the village saving and lending association (VSLA), saved 11,521,522 Bir, about 2,262,407 SEK) and mobilized for loans (10,500,000 Birr). These loans have supported women in engaging in a diverse range of farm and non-farm businesses, thereby promoting economic empowerment. g) Out of the 406 VSLA groups, 46% have already been upgraded to formal saving and credit cooperatives. h) The participatory process for creating access and use of Sharia-compliant (interest-free) financial services, has led to inclusive access to and use of finance from formal financial institutions, and grown from zero to 10,433 users in three project intervention areas. The total value accessed by clients of interest-free financial services has increased from zero to up to 640,782,028 ETB (~125,399,893 SEK) in three project intervention areas and over the project life. 5. Social impacts The program showcased progress in social development, social cohesion, gender equality, family planning and reproductive health. a) Biogas technology helped reduce workload and improved indoor air quality, particularly benefiting women and children, and leading to improved education attendance and reduced health risks. b) Contraceptive prevalence rate reached 90.4% (141% of the lifetime target). c) The average women's decision-making index score of 84.3% (achieving 93% of the lifetime target) signifies that womens participation in decision-making processes is substantially improved. d) The proportion of women in leadership roles, specifically as executive committee members of community-based organizations (CBOs), reached 35% (97% of the lifetime target). e) Refugees and host communities were organized into cooperatives and benefitted from various livelihood development interventions in Dollo Ado, Somali region, gaining income. f) Access to sharia-compliant financial services and support for entrepreneurship enabled youth to start their own businesses. 6. Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus Inclusive livelihood development interventions, targeting women, the disadvantaged groups and harmonizing refugee and host communities in Dolo Ado Woreda of Somali Region contributed to a holistic HDP in a synergy. Hundreds of households who were reliant on food aid for several years have now started not producing food for household consumption and are engaging in commercial farming. This approach followed helped build stronger social cohesion among refugee and host communities. The projects in Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia showcased the HDP nexus in terms of reducing food-aid in drought-prone areas, building intercommunity peace by reducing conflict over resources. 7. Human and institutional capacity building The major achievements in capacity building are presented as follows. a) The Participatory Forest Management Cooperatives (PFMCs) supported by the programme have achieved an average organizational capacity score of 74% (109% of the lifetime target). This indicates significant improvements in the cooperatives' ability to effectively manage and operate their forest management activities. b) Water user association members' average Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) score on landscape management has reached 82% (111% of lifetime target). These increased scores indicate a better understanding and implementation of sustainable landscape management practices. c) Government organizations' average KAP score on biodiversity and climate-smart agricultural practices is 82.3% (105.5% of the lifetime target). This reflects a strong knowledge base and positive attitudes towards biodiversity conservation and climate-smart agriculture. d) The capacity of CSOs, government agencies, CBOs, and farm households in climate-smart agriculture practice, market engagement, natural resource management (NRM), gender mainstreaming, and monitoring and learning has increased from a baseline of 58% to 83% on average. This demonstrates enhanced capabilities in key areas of sustainable agriculture and development. e) The institutional capacity of CSOs operating in the project areas, including their financial, leadership, and monitoring and evaluation capacities, has increased from a baseline of 55% to 88%. This highlights substantial improvements in the overall functioning and effectiveness of CSOs in managing businesses, implying sustainability of the project successes. 8. Research for development Completion of five comprehensive studies aimed at better understanding mechanisms for enhancing ecosystem services in the Bale Ecoregion and promoting socio-economic integration across the Shebele and Genale-Dawa Basins results worth noting. The findings from these studies will pave the way for developing comprehensive development interventions for a cross-border programme that encompasses the Genale and Wabi-Shebele basins. 9. Inclusiveness and Gender Equality The project has made deliberate efforts to ensure inclusiveness and gender equality by reaching out and tailoring activities to various segments of the community, including men, women, youth, and disadvantaged groups. The project has also focused on gender transformative approaches, challenging barriers that limit access to and control over resources, leadership and decision-making power. 10. Policy engagement A policy document on biosphere reserve and two policy briefs have been developed.

The goal of the G4F program was to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities and landscapes through integrated and holistic solutions that harmonize multiple objectives of management of natural resources, market integration, and livelihood improvement, thereby contributing to sustainable development, poverty reduction, and biodiversity conservation. The program aimed to drive effective and sustainable rural development through eight projects that focused on climate adaptation (mainly through climate-smart and regenerative agriculture and livelihood diversification), market engagement, urban agriculture (integrating objectives of food and nutrition, environmental protection and job creation), green energy, financial access, private sector engagement, and management of natural forests and protected areas (including biosphere reserves and parks), soil and water resources. The project was designed to sufficiently address gender inequality across the project areas. The G4F programme was designed based on the long-standing experiences of Farm Africa and its partners in delivering integrated landscape management throughout Ethiopia.