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The Political Economy of Agricultural Extension Policy in Ethiopia: Economic Growth and Political Control

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  • Kassahun Berhanu
  • Colin Poulton

Abstract

type="main"> This article argues that, in Ethiopia, the aim to transform the performance of smallholder agricultural production is driven by the twin imperatives of economic growth and political control. The agricultural extension programme – the largest and fastest growing in the continent – has been central to this strategy, and the unparalleled investment in the extension system has been driven by these twin imperatives. However, there are tensions between the objectives of stimulating agricultural growth, on the one hand, and extensively penetrating society and winning elections, on the other, and these may reduce the returns to this investment. Implications are drawn for wider debates on the reform of agricultural extension.

Suggested Citation

  • Kassahun Berhanu & Colin Poulton, 2014. "The Political Economy of Agricultural Extension Policy in Ethiopia: Economic Growth and Political Control," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 32(s2), pages 199-216, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devpol:v:32:y:2014:i:s2:p:s199-s216
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    Cited by:

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    4. Wioletta NOWAK, 2017. "The Fastest Growing Least Developed Countries," Network Intelligence Studies, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 10, pages 149-156, December.
    5. Kebede, Selamawit G. & Heshmati, Almas, 2023. "Political Economy of Industrialization and Industrial Parks in Ethiopia," IZA Discussion Papers 15846, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Lan-yue, Zhang & Yao, Li & Jing, Zhang & Bing, Luo & Ji-min, He & Shi-huai, Deng & Xin, Huang & ling, Luo & Fei, Shen & Hong, Xiao & Yan-zong, Zhang & Yuan-wei, Li & Li-lin, Wang & Xue-Ping, Yao & Ya-, 2017. "The relationships among energy consumption, economic output and energy intensity of countries at different stage of development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 258-264.
    7. Bachewe, Fantu N. & Berhane, Guush & Minten, Bart & Taffesse, Alemayehu S., 2018. "Agricultural Transformation in Africa? Assessing the Evidence in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 286-298.
    8. Abate, Gashaw T. & Dereje, Mekdim & Hirvonen, Kalle & Minten, Bart, 2020. "Geography of public service delivery in rural Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    9. Resnick, Danielle, 2019. "Strong democracy, weak state: The political economy of Ghana’s stalled structural transformation," IFPRI book chapters, in: Ghana’s economic and agricultural transformation: Past performance and future prospects, chapter 3, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Nigussie, Zerihun & Tsunekawa, Atsushi & Haregeweyn, Nigussie & Adgo, Enyew & Cochrane, Logan & Floquet, Anne & Abele, Steffen, 2018. "Applying Ostrom’s institutional analysis and development framework to soil and water conservation activities in north-western Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 1-10.
    11. Biyensa Gurmessa, 2021. "Soil acidity challenges and the significance of liming and organic amendments in tropical agricultural lands with reference to Ethiopia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 77-99, January.
    12. Shimelis Beyene & Teshome H. Regassa & Belaineh Legesse & Martha Mamo & Tsegaye Tadesse, 2018. "Empowerment and Tech Adoption: Introducing the Treadle Pump Triggers Farmers’ Innovation in Eastern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-12, September.
    13. Gezahegn, T.W. & Maertens, M., 2018. "Economic Incentives for Collective Action in Agriculture: Evidence from Agricultural Co-operatives in Tigray, North Ethiopia," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277137, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. Kamel Louhichi & Umed Temursho & Liesbeth Colen & Sergio Gomez y Paloma, 2019. "Upscaling the productivity performance of the Agricultural Commercialization Cluster Initiative in Ethiopia [Élargissement des performance de productivité de l'Initiative des grappes de Commerciali," Working Papers hal-02790390, HAL.
    15. Kebebe, E. & Duncan, AJ & Klerkx, L. & de Boer, I.J.M. & Oosting, S.J., 2015. "Understanding socio-economic and policy constraints to dairy development in Ethiopia: A coupled functional-structural innovation systems analysis," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 69-78.
    16. Erenstein, Olaf & Kassie, Girma Tesfahun, 2018. "Seeding eastern Africa’s maize revolution in the post-structural adjustment era: a review and comparative analysis of the formal maize seed sector," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(1).
    17. Bedaso, Fenet Jima, 2024. "Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap: Evidence from Ethiopia," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1393, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    18. Adamie, Birhanu Addisu, 2021. "Land property rights and household take-up of development programs: Evidence from land certification program in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    19. Bikrum Gill, 2016. "Can the river speak? Epistemological confrontation in the rise and fall of the land grab in Gambella, Ethiopia," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(4), pages 699-717, April.

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