Resilient Agriculture for Inclusive and Sustainable Ethiopian Food System (RAISE FS) project is being implemented in partnership with different stakeholders. One of the regions where the project operate is Oromia region. In Oromia region the project collaborates with different stakeholders which includes implementing partners namely Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) and Haramaya university and scaling partners including relevant different regional, zonal and woreda level bureaus and offices.
Following the baseline survey, RAISE-FS designed and implemented a Rapid Food System Appraisal to generate qualitative insights on key food system challenges and opportunities through action research with local stakeholders. The RFSA were conducted in three woredas of Oromia region viz., Babile, Welmera and Ada’a representing food insecure, food secure and commercial oriented food system typologies respectively.
On August 22, 2022, the findings of both the baseline survey and the RFSA were validated by stakeholders at various levels in the Oromia region. The primary goal of the workshops was to share and validate the findings from the field-based appraisal and baseline survey. Furthermore, stakeholders were urged to consider priority actions for their respective woreda cases, which are primarily focused on specific commodities and the food systems that revolve around these commodities. The key findings from the appraisal and baseline survey were presented to participants during the woreda level validation workshop. These presentations include selected data from the baseline survey and RFSA as well as an overview of the challenges and action options identified for various outcome areas. Next to the presentations for both the RFSA and the baseline survey, participants raised some questions and points that needed clarification. The experts who conducted the two appraisals responded to the questions raised and clarified points that needed clarification. Following the discussion, stakeholders were asked to identify priority intervention areas and leverage points within RAISE-FS’s 5 outcome and 15 intermediary outcome domains, and they eventually identified the priority interventions for their respective woredas in relation to the food system typology.
The regional level validation workshop was then held in Adama on September 6, 2022, at the Dire International Hotel, with participation from representatives of the implementing and scaling partners. The goal was to revalidate the regionally identified priority topics and challenges for the three food system typologies that had already been validated at woreda level. In this workshop, representatives from Oromia Bureau of Agriculture, Oromia Bureau of skill and job creation, Bureau of investment and trade, Market promotion agency, Cooperative promotion agency, Bureau of health, Bureau of women and children affairs, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Debre Zeit and Holeta agricultural research centers directors, focal persons and center representatives, Haramaya university research director representative, SWR Ethiopian office representatives as well as the representatives team of experts that conducted RFSA and baseline survey were attended the workshop.
Following an introductory speech by Dr. Dawit Alemu, Dr. Diriba Geleti, Deputy Director General of Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, delivered the opening remarks. The findings from the baseline and RFSA were then highlighted. Prior to the results of the baseline survey and RFSA being endorsed by the participants, the presented baseline survey results were thoroughly discussed with the participants and many inputs and feedbacks were gathered. The discussion greatly helped in gathering insightful comments and feedback that improve the study documents.
Finally, Mr. Lemma Bogale, Director for Extension Department and representative for the Oromia agriculture bureau deputy head, gave a vote of thanks to conclude the workshop. He expressed his gratitude to everyone who attended the workshop, presenters for sharing the study results, and to SWR Ethiopia for facilitating the workshop. Finally, he gave direction on how to jointly implement this project in the region in light of the anticipated transformation of the food system in the area. He praised the high level of engagement of various stakeholders in the region as well as the valuable feedback, insights, and comments shared by participants on the study reports.
RAISE-FS 