The Parched and The Lush Green

by Ayalew Abai

Drought and conflict have always been highlighted as the root causes of famines but very little has been written about the equally devastating agricultural and marketing policies of the Derg ( officially the Provisional Military Government of Ethiopia, which was the military junta that ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987). These policies date back to 1975 and adversely impacted local grain production and distribution - major contributing factors to the famine.

The drought-prone northern region of Ethiopia has never managed to grow enough produce to feed its population even in the best of times. As a result, it was customary for local traders to fill the gap by buying surplus grain from the open markets of other regions for selling in the local markets. Peasants from the region also engaged in petty trading and migrant labor to supplement their meagre income. These practices came to an end with the nationalization of all rural land with the establishment of the Agricultural Marketing Corporation (AMC) that was given the sole authority to buy surplus produce from rural farmers at arbitrarily-set low prices.

The Derg forbade migrant labor and stationed armed guards at checkpoints to prevent movement of people and commodities. This was a major disincentive to grain production as overall production plummeted soon after these measures were implemented. Farmers started to grow only enough to feed their families and a little extra which they were allowed to sell in their local markets. There were instances of surplus grain rotting in some localities while people starved in other regions.

During his visit to one of the drought stricken areas near Gondar, Jim Grant was surprised to see surplus grain sold in a local market very close to another drought stricken village. On hearing the constraints of lack of cash and free movement of surplus produce, he negotiated with the Government and immediately authorized about $200,000 which enabled the needy to purchase surplus grain from nearby local markets. This program was later known as ‘Cash for Work’.

I recall a rare pleasant memory from those days. I accompanied a group from the National Committees in Europe on a tour of Gojam. At that time, many people in the world, including Europeans, thought of Ethiopia as a dry wasteland based on the BBC broadcast of the horrific scenes of the famine in Korem. To dispel this perception, the office arranged for the National Committees group to visit other UNICEF-supported programmes in Gojam after their tour of the drought affected regions of the North. I remember how astonished they were to see lush green Gojam, including the Blue Nile Falls and the beautiful town of Bahir Dar on the shores of Lake Tana. I am sure they must have wondered how people could starve in a country endowed with such rich agricultural land and abundant water resources.

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