Irish Aid contributes to improving food security in the Tigray region

Despite pockets of urban growth, rural poverty and malnutrition in the Tigray region of Ethiopia remain stubbornly high. About 80% of the population lives in rural areas and the majority are subsistence farmers. Mostly this group produces on average only 40% of their annual minimal food requirements. To alleviate this problem, since 2012 Irish Aid has been collaborating with Farm Africa in the ‘Sustainable Agriculture for Improved Food Security’ project. The initiative aims at enhancing the economic empowerment of the poorest by supporting them to operate further along the value chain and generate sustainable incomes through engagement in activities such as beekeeping, goat or poultry rearing, fruit and vegetable production, nursery management etc. Particular attention is given to poor women and landless youth.

The project will run until 2017 and to date Irish Aid has provided €450,000. In recent years the UK Department for International Development has also joined the initiative. You can find out more about our work at the following link: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/15/farm-africa-goats-ethiopia-guardian-charity-appeal-dfid