An assessment of the causes of malnutrition in Ethiopia: A ...

following and in alliance with the development of the agricultural sector. The development of
trade and industry, in turn, guarantees the sustainable development of agriculture. Thus, there
will be an interdependence and integration between the sectors from the outset. At later
stages, with the formation of increased capital stock, it is envisaged that industry will become
the leading sector of the economy, replacing agriculture.
ii) Rural development policies, strategies, and instruments.
Building on the vision of ADLI, the key economic development goals of the
government of EPRDF are presented in the Rural Development Policies, Strategies, and
Instruments document (MOI 2001). These are:
• Rapid economic development
• Ensuring that people benefit from the development
• Liberating the economy from aid dependency while strengthening its international
integration; and
• Achieving the above through the development of a free market economy.
It is around these policy goals that all social and economic sectors, including those
implicated in the nutrition policy and strategy, are expected to design their activities.
Since the overarching development strategy of the government is the reduction of
poverty in the country, the development of the agricultural sector is the sensible choice for
pro-poor growth. The basic objectives of the agricultural development policies and strategies
are outlined in the document as follows:
• Building human resource capacity (especially that of farmers) and using it
extensively;
• Proper use of land – secure land holdings, clear land use policy, improved water use;
• Preparation of development packages compatible with each region – diversification
and specialization in areas with sufficient rainfall; specific programs for pastoralist,
drought affected, and areas with large areas of uncultivated land;
• Creating market-led agricultural development – production based on market demand;
improvements in marketing systems;
• Improving the rural finance system;
• Encouraging private investment to participate in agricultural development;
• Expanding rural infrastructure; and
• Strengthening non-agricultural rural development initiatives.
Each of the themes mentioned above is related to the improvement in the condition of
the malnourished child and women in rural Ethiopia within a given set of institutional,
human, and financial constraints. 11 However, the question of whether opportunities are being
missed for improving nutrition in some of the policies and strategies is difficult to assess.
The federal policy and strategy framework is implemented within the context of
regional and woreda administrations. Unfortunately, the framework is laden with heroic
assumptions. These include that (1) the necessary manpower and resources will be put in
place at those levels; (2) the management of agriculture and rural development processes will
11 The perception held by some that all of these elements need to be described in a 'quantified'
relationship to demonstrate linkages is often irrelevant. It is equally important simply to realize the
basic directions intended for tackling poverty and its consequences (malnutrition, illiteracy, poor health
etc).
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