[{"bbox": [97, 153, 1135, 236], "category": "Text", "text": "the conflict none of those measures has been implemented, with budget diversion by the Government, withdrawal or freezing of Development Partners financing, and private sector aversion to take risks in such circumstances."}, {"bbox": [97, 268, 1135, 616], "category": "Text", "text": "Against this stalling of activities, and worsening of the economic and social situation, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), people in need of food assistance almost doubled, from 11.8 million in 2020 (COVID-19 year) to 22.6 million in 2022. The information captured by the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI) confirmed an increase of prices by 49.9 % of food commodities year to year, from November 2021 to November 2022, and over 100 % increase if compared to March 2020 (start of COVID-19 pandemic). Just to mention a few products of the food basket of an average family, in Addis Ababa markets, the price increases were 152 % for maize, 135 % for wheat, 120 % for beef, 133 % for edible oil, 194 % for coffee, 170 % for tomato, and 242 % for sugar. Unfortunately also the annual inflation rate increased steadily, reaching 35.1 % in November of 2022. The main reasons reported for such increases are the rising cost for oil and imported commodities, influencing transport and production costs, lower production compared to request, difficulties to acquire food items within the same woreda (district) or even region."}, {"bbox": [97, 644, 1135, 934], "category": "Text", "text": "This action is aligned with the National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) 2021-2030 strategy, with the Ethiopian Food Systems Transformation Agenda (2021), the Livestock Health Strategy (2018), the Gender Equality Strategy for the Agriculture Sector (2017),³ and the National Feed Resources Development Strategy (2020). The action is also aligned with the ten-year Development Plan (2021-2030) designed to sustain economic growth and prosperity, ensure food and nutrition security, increase access to water and sustainable peace and stability for its citizens. The Action is also aligned to the Government of Ethiopia 5 year Strategy to Transform soil Fertility, included in the document “A Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda: A Pathway to Prosperity (Ten Years Development Plan, 2021-2030)”. The action will therefore contribute to strengthening evidence-based dialogue with the Government of Ethiopia that will help fine-tuning further approaches to food security."}, {"bbox": [97, 952, 1135, 1245], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action is directly contributing to the “*EU Food Security in Horn of Africa Initiative*” of April 2022,⁴ which aims to provide a substantial response to the devastating climate-induced drought affecting the Horn of Africa. It is also in line with the (Ethiopian) National Food and Nutrition Strategy. The action will complement the planned EU Regional Programme in Livestock and Pastoralism for Climate Change Adaptation in Eastern/Horn of Africa that aims at increasing the contribution of livestock and pastoralism to green growth and sustainable livelihoods and to the transformation of safe food systems. Moreover, it is in line with the ambitions of the country’s commitment to tackle climate change through transformative economic development, focusing on low-carbon growth, poverty reduction, climate resilience and green economy development. The agricultural sector is one of the key focus areas of Ethiopia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)⁵ detailing major commitments to enhance resilience to climate change."}, {"bbox": [97, 1264, 1135, 1440], "category": "Text", "text": "Finally, the Action is aligned with the European Green Deal and its farm to fork strategy, the European Consensus for Development, the Gender Action Plan III 2021-2025 (GAP III), in particular to its thematic areas of engagement “Promoting economic and social rights and empowering girls and women”, the EU vision of the future Africa-EU partnership as per its Communication “Towards a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa”, and contributes to the Great Green Wall initiative. It also contributes to SDGs 1 (No poverty) and 2 (Zero hunger), to SDGs 5 (Gender equality) and 13 (Climate action)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1549, 641, 1598], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ EU Country Gender Profile – CGP Ethiopia (Europe.eu)\nhttps://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_2508"}, {"bbox": [85, 1598, 918, 1622], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ Food security in Horn of Africa EU steps up support to drought-affected countries (1).pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1622, 650, 1645], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ Ethiopia's updated NDC JULY 2021 Submission.pdf (unfccc.int)"}, {"bbox": [1130, 1655, 1144, 1677], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "5"}]