Goals:

• Restore native forest and promote biodiversity
• Promote economic development
• Increase food security

Why was intervention needed?

Ethiopia is one of the world's poorest countries. As recently as 2008, almost half of the country's population was living in poverty with many suffering from extreme food insecurity. Most of these people live in rural areas, mostly small and marginal farmers who rely on agriculture for their food and income. The two year long war in Eritrea that caused massive population displacements in the south, pushed local communities further into desperate conditions and increasing substantial pressure on the soil. In Ethiopia, this extreme poverty goes hand in hand with environmental degradation, with each one affecting the other in a cycle of positive feedback. With 80% of Ethiopians dependent on agriculture as their main livelihood, poverty has been made worse by severe arid conditions due to persistent lack of rainfall. In parallel to this, communities living in poverty do not have the luxury of acting in the interest of their environment and can often cause further degradation.