Ethiopia

With a population of more than 100 million people, Ethiopia is one of the fastest-growing populations and economies in Africa. Ethiopia’s economy depends on agriculture and is home to the largest livestock herds in Africa. Pastoralism, an agricultural way of life built around livestock, provides a livelihood for 12 million in Ethiopia, according to World Bank estimates from 2016.

Despite these challenges, agriculture-led economic growth, accompanied by improvements in people’s livelihoods and nutrition, can provide a long-lasting solution to Ethiopia’s chronic poverty and food insecurity.

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Projects in Ethiopia

Crop Insurance Innovations to Build Trust in Financial Services for Agriculture in Ethiopia

MRR Innovation Lab researchers have partnered with the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative (R4) in Ethiopia to test innovations that improve the accuracy and responsiveness of index insurance, including crop simulations that incorporate farmers’ management practices and a picture-based insurance that contributes to fail-safe audits.

From Climate Change to Conflict: Mitigation through Insurance in East Africa?

This project tests whether insurance and conflict-mitigating interventions can reduce conflict within households, and within and between pastoralist communities in the drylands of Ethiopia and Kenya.

The Distributional Impacts of Large-Scale Land Transactions in Ethiopia

This ALL-IN project is measuring the impacts of large-scale land transactions in Ethiopia and identifying the communities and households who benefit and those who does not.

Building Trust in Index Insurance with Picture-based Crop Audits in Ethiopia

In a new feasibility study, MRR Innovation Lab researchers are testing whether smartphone pictures of crops before and after damage can help implement fail-safe audits in Ethiopia. This picture-based insurance (PBI) audit may dramatically improve contract responsiveness while keeping costs low.

Do No Harm: The Welfare Effects of Behavioral Index Insurance Interventions in Ethiopia

MRR Innovation Lab researchers are testing a “behaviorally smart” intervention with index-based livestock insurance in Ethiopia to maximize the welfare of all households by measuring their preferences and beliefs and providing tailored advice on the decision to purchase insurance.

Understanding the Impact of Idiosyncratic Shocks on Farm Productivity and Household Asset Building and Protection in Ethiopia, Ghana and Bangladesh

Risk and poverty are key, inextricable concerns in Bangladesh, Ghana and Ethiopia. The research will focus on the impact of idiosyncratic risk on asset poverty and the mechanism available to redress it.

Assessing the Value of Index Insurance for Herders: Comparing NDVI-based Insurance Products in Ethiopia and Kenya

This project examines a range of drought-related indices based on data sources and parameters used by HSNP and IBLI. This will help determine which index is most appropriate for an index insurance product that aims to protect households from drought related shocks.

Index-Based Livestock Insurance in East Africa

This project develops and evaluates a risk management program to help East African pastoral households in drought-inflicted areas to cope with current and future climate risks.

Insuring Against the Weather: Integrating Generic Weather Index Products with Group-Based Savings and Loans in Ethiopia and Bangladesh

The research will focus on developing simple, flexible and inclusive index insurance products, and learning how to link them with savings or credit to reduce the impact of basis risk inherent in any index product.

Demand for and Productivity Impact of Weather Index Insurance in Ethiopia

This study reports the initial results from a pilot project using weather index insurance as a way to expand credit supply and, consequently, fertilizer demand by smallholders.

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Development Opportunity: Ethiopia

117.9 : Population in millions (2021)
27% : Poverty rate at $2.15/day, 2017 PPP (2015)
91.7 : Rural population in millions (2021)
67% : Total employment in agriculture (2019)
25% : Prevalence of undernourishment (2020)
36.8% : Prevalence of stunting for children under 5 years (2019)

Source: World Bank

Ethiopia Events

Innovations in Index Insurance to Promote Agricultural and Livestock Development in Ethiopia

Dec 3, 2015

Capital Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Markets, Risk and Resilience