Ethiopia has shifted its approach to food security, with the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) actively implementing new initiatives to enhance its effectiveness, according to Birhanu Woldemichael, Senior Advisor to the Head of the Food Security Coordination Office, in an exclusive interview with EBC's Addis Dialogue English Program.
Senior Advisor Birhanu emphasized that the PSNP, launched in 2005, represents a significant shift from traditional emergency food assistance methods. This initiative not only addresses immediate food insecurity but also focuses on long-term livelihood improvement, recognizing the inadequacy of solely providing emergency food aid.
Birhanu elaborated on the program's approach, stating that the PSNP employs job targeting and COVID-targeting strategies to assist the most impoverished and vulnerable households in rural areas. To achieve this, the program has established a systematic targeting process. The focus is on identifying regions with the highest levels of poverty, referred to as "dark bone areas," and subsequently pinpointing the most vulnerable households within those regions. Rather than attempting to assist the entire population, the program concentrates on the poorest segments, utilizing community-based targeting methods to accurately identify these households. To ensure effective implementation, a comprehensive guideline has been developed for targeting the most disadvantaged, accompanied by workshops to educate stakeholders at various levels, including regional, district, and community.
Birhanu elaborated on the program's comprehensive approach, highlighting its commitment to assisting vulnerable households across the country through a combination of cash transfers, food aid, public works initiatives, and capacity-building efforts. He noted that the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) operates in diverse geographic regions and employs specific criteria to determine eligibility for support, whether through unconditional cash transfers or participation in public works. This strategy not only addresses immediate needs but also fosters local development by creating an environment conducive to community enhancement.
He further explained that the initiative aims to establish guidelines for selecting beneficiaries in the context of COVID-19, reinforcing this framework with a governance structure at various levels, including regional, Woreda, and community tiers. At the regional level, the Regional Food Security Task Force is in place, complemented by similar task forces at the Woreda and community levels. These entities play a vital role in identifying individuals in need of assistance. Once the target is established at the committee level, a general assembly convenes to review and discuss the list of households deemed eligible for support, which is then endorsed by the committee following compliance checks.
The Senior Advisor reiterated the Ethiopian government's commitment to enhancing the PSNP to ensure its ongoing effectiveness in supporting the most vulnerable populations and fostering sustainable development. For over three decades, emergency food aid has been the primary response to food insecurity in Ethiopia, effectively saving lives but often failing to protect livelihoods, raising significant concerns about long-term sustainability. In 2005, the Ethiopian government enhanced its emergency food assistance initiative by launching the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), which provided a more efficient mechanism for supporting vulnerable populations with a safety net.