THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD

Published purpose

This project represents Canada's continuing support for Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program. This national program addresses some of the underlying factors that leave many poor people in rural Ethiopia unable to meet their daily food requirements on a year-round basis. Led by the Government of Ethiopia, with the support of Canada and other donors, the program aims to reduce the chronic vulnerability these people experience and enable them to progress towards self-sufficiency. The program is designed to provide timely transfers of food or cash to beneficiaries during certain periods of the year when food is not readily available. As a result, the beneficiaries do not have to sell their limited assets (livestock, farm implements) in order to survive until the next growing season. The beneficiaries receive the food or cash in exchange for their labour on small, community-based, public works projects that contribute to the well-being of the community involved. These projects are chosen by the communities and may include activities such as: (i) terracing and planting trees to improve soil conservation and restore degraded watersheds, so that more land can become agriculturally productive; (ii) small-scale water collection and irrigation initiatives to provide water sources during the growing season, thus decreasing the chance of losing crops due to limited rainfall; or (iii) the construction of community infrastructure such as rural roads to enable farmers to go to and from markets, schools for children to enhance their future economic opportunities, or health centres so that people can become and remain healthy in order to be contributing members in their community. Food is also provided directly to eligible beneficiaries who, due to personal circumstances, are unable to provide labour for public works. These include orphans, pregnant and lactating women, households with only elderly residents, young children and mothers in female-headed households, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Canada's support to this program is provided through the United Nations World Food Programme and the World Bank.