The agricultural sector in most African countries is predominantly operated by smallholder farmers who possess limited farmland. Also, they have no innovative farming practices and related technologies that raise their productivity. However, this sector continued to be the most significant economic sector in the continent. It engaged a large part of the economically active population of Africa, including Ethiopia. Also, the agriculture sector produces for export contributing to a substantial amount of foreign exchange reserves. It also assumes a large share of Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP), although it declines as other sectors contribute more.
Experts are of the opinion that the agricultural sector in Africa, including Ethiopia, is not fully used and falls far short of its potential. The progress of Africa in improving land, labor, capital and productivity is slower than in other regions, especially developed ones. This is mainly due to lack of modern tech and resources, including finance for raising agricultural productivity in Africa, including Ethiopia.
Most of the African countries are negatively affected by the rapid growth rate of population. Consequently, there is a substantial rise in the demand for food, leading to food insecurity in Africa. Moreover, the African regions are presently struggling with weather changes causing high temperatures. These changes in conjunction with African, including Ethiopian, reliance on rain-fed agriculture and unsustainable farming practices cause shortage of agricultural produces.
Also, the poor economic conditions have contributed to a decline in the rate of growth of agricultural productivity when compared to other global regions. There is, therefore, a dire need to adopt a scientifically integrated approach that can effectively tackle the above-mentioned challenges. It is necessary to enhance agricultural productivity in Africa, including Ethiopia. In this case, structural adjustment of the agriculture sector becomes a unique course for agrarian transformation in Africa.
Experts agree that there are positive effects of structural adjustment on different aspects such as agricultural productivity, income, food security, and soil quality. This adjustment may be improvement in farm management practices that meet the current demand of the society for food and textile. This practice safeguards the capacity of future generations to provide for their needs.
In other works, sustainable practices encompass the reduction in environmentally hazardous inputs and a transition towards utilizing locally accessible resources. These will ensure the competitiveness and economic sustainability of agriculture. For instance, soil fertility is enhanced by applying “sustainable practices” such as inorganic and organic fertilizers.
Likewise, the application of hybrid and improved seed varieties is proved to enhance resilience against pests and diseases. This practice enables crops to thrive in regions with little rainfall. Besides, it has been shown that crop rotation, mulching, and cover crops all have contributed significantly to the preservation of soil moisture.
The above mentioned agricultural practices have prevented the accumulation of pest and disease in crops. This demonstrates the crucial role of structural adjustment in improving agricultural productivity. It also ensures that the environmental resources are not depleted.
The introduction of modern agricultural practices and the utilization of agro-forestry, soil conservation practices, crop rotation, improved seed varieties, and intercropping have contributed to high yield in certain “developed” countries. It has improved agricultural productivity and substantially alleviated food insecurity and poverty in these countries.
The application has been scientifically proven to boost farmers’ livelihoods. It has also safeguarded environmental resources. Modern application remains a viable option for improving agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers in developing countries. Here, however, the agricultural system is characterized by limited productive capacity due to inadequate adoption of modern technologies and sustainable practices.
Experts emphasize that when considering agricultural development, it is important to focus on future output growth and on protecting the quality of the environment, water, and soil. Thus, the adoption of modern tech has been proposed as a means to raise the productivity and resilience of crop production in smallholder farming systems such as in Ethiopia.
There is also a need to preserve the environmental and natural resources from malpractices. However, despite the benefits of adopting modern tech mentioned earlier, statistics indicate that a significant number of smallholder farmers worldwide, particularly in rural parts of Africa, have yet to adopt these practices fully.
Research conducted in the African region, including Ethiopia, indicates that these smallholder farmers continue to operate in traditional farming practices. These practices have conducted for millennia without any significant change in their operations.
Researchers have observed that a huge number of smallholder African farmers, including Ethiopian farmers, are not enthusiastic to use sustainable practices.
Among the practices not used by the Ethiopian farmers is conservation agriculture. The reason behind such practice is financial constraint and lack of interest to engage in agricultural innovation over ineffective traditional methods. However, a few African farmers have adopted improved seed varieties, leaving the remainder to rely on traditional means of conservation.
The majority of Ethiopian farmers continue to have difficulty adopting modern and sustainable farming practices for reasons mentioned earlier. As pointed out by various researchers, the adoption of modern agricultural tech, its trends, impacts, and challenges among smallholder farmers is very scarce. Studies have investigated factors influencing technology adoption among smallholder farmers in Africa. However, none of these studies have analyzed the adoption trends, impacts, and challenges associated with modern tech adoption by farmers.
There is a need to build an understanding of the adoption, impacts, and underlying challenges behind the low utilization of agricultural tech by smallholder farmers in Africa, including Ethiopia. Researchers would, therefore, have to bridge the identified research gaps that would help contribute to productivity of smallholder agriculture. In this regard, agriculture and food security issues have to be integrated within the sustainable development goals.
These goals are aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security for Africans.
There should, therefore, be an adequate supply of food that is accessible for all Africans, including Ethiopians. In this endeavor, focus should be given to the protection of the quality of the farming environment. These studies have to offer valuable insights and information to the concerned authorities and rural development stakeholders in various African countries as well as Ethiopia.
These studies will further offer empirically guided policy guidance for developing appropriate interventions to enhance the adoption and utilization of agricultural tech. These studies have to scientifically prove that improved crop yields will preserve the environment. Taking these factors into account, the researchers will have to provide answers to various questions.
One such question would be related to the environmental factors or conditions that exist in smallholder farming necessitating the adoption of tech. Other enquiries may be related to the adoption of agricultural tech. Similarly, there may also be questions related to the impacts of adoption on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Also, the challenges to be faced by smallholder farmers when they adopt new tech have to be explained to these farmers. If the farmers grasp these challenges, they will be in a better position to face them.
Although the smallholder farming sector offers numerous benefits to Ethiopia, its productivity is affected by numerous challenges climate change and variability, inadequate soil fertility, the high prevalence of pests and diseases, land degradation, and insufficient rainfall.
Experts have pointed out that climate change is a major and urgent threat to the Ethiopian agricultural system. Climate change reflects the alterations in climatic patterns in the rural parts of the country, which can be caused by natural variations and human interventions. Such a change impacts cultivation practices by inducing extreme weather events, including heat waves and floods, as well as rainfall amounts and patterns. These changes cause shifts in the timing and duration of growing seasons and variations in the intensity of pests, diseases, and weeds.
Experts have identified regions that are susceptible to the effects of extreme natural events. These include climate change, which is reflected in the form of droughts and floods. Drought in Ethiopia is identified by less precipitation, shorter and erratic rainy seasons.
Experts have observed a decrease in precipitation in the semi-arid parts of Ethiopia. They observed a reduction in the annual total precipitation in western Ethiopia. A similar observation has been noted when drought has developed in certain parts of the country as a result of climate change and variability. These experts have also observed that a significantly uneven distribution of annual rainfall which is lower than the global average.
As a result, smallholder farmers and rural households that rely on rain-fed agriculture have become vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The combination of climate change and variability has led to an increase in temperatures and a decrease in average rainfall. As a result, smallholder farmers have become susceptible to erratic climatic conditions that result in low production.
The government of Ethiopia issued a new agricultural policy that could enhance agricultural productivity thereby raising rural income. This policy has improved the living standards of the rural people where there is peace and security.
The policy has offered vital lessons that could reshape agriculture across Africa. These lessons are timely insights as challenges such as food security, climate change, and economic development grow increasingly pressing.
Ethiopian agricultural experts have identified the transformative potential of “focused” investments and policies. In recent years, the country has made remarkable strides in improving agricultural productivity. Government-led initiatives have led to advancements in farming techniques, broadened access to essential inputs like fertilizer and seed, and expanded irrigation systems, all of which have helped increase food production.
Yet, Ethiopia’s agriculture sector still faces persistent challenges. These challenges are food insecurity, fluctuation in the export sector earnings with global market dynamics. Also, infrastructural and technology limitations continue to inhibit the full potential of Ethiopia. It is hoped that agriculture will resume its role of earning foreign exchange for the country.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY GETACHEW MINAS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 19 APRIL 2025
