Resource information
This research in the highlands of Ethiopia shows how poverty and land degradation can be reduced in a resource-constrained agricultural area. It uses a bioeconomic model to address how alternative policy options can affect poverty and land degradation. It concludes that in less-favoured areas, despite disadvantages, appropriate policies and programmes can generate high returns and contribute significantly to poverty reduction.Land quality and household welfare are both in peril in the Ethiopian highlands, and the population in the region could suffer devastating effects if proper policies are not put in place. The bioeconomic model used in this research is used to explore the linkages between the ecology and the economy and the dynamic effects of these linkages over time. It essentially serves as a baseline model and can be seen as a starting point for "policy experiments" to assess the likely impact of alternative policy interventions. The paper finds that a combination of tree planting and a food-for-work programme would provide positive outcomes in terms of increased household incomes and more sustainable land use.The authors conclude that the bioeconomic modelling approach used in this study can be usefully adapted and applied in many other settings and at larger spatial and socioeconomic scales.This analysis should be useful to policymakers and others seeking to reduce poverty and improve land management in Ethiopia and other countries where such problems are severe.
