Common Country Assessment (CCA) - ECSS | Eritrean Center for ...

Food Security (cont’d)
Causality analysis
• The root cause is low domestic production
due to the prevailing semi-arid climate,
characterized by erratic rainfall and frequent
droughts: Eritrea is not likely to produce food
in abundance, livestock farming and drinking
water supplies are adversely effected.
• War damage to agricultural infrastructure,
machinery and inputs; loss of livestock;
population displacement and dislocation,
which disrupted farming activities; some
farmlands remaining idle because of
landmine infestation.
• Predominance of low-productivity owing to
subsistence farming, fragmented land
ownership, poor farm management,
deforestation and uncontrolled over-grazing
contributing to water-table depletion.
Capacity gaps and key challenges
Management of water resources
• Eritrea now depends overwhelmingly on rain-fed agriculture. More intensive
production using irrigation is needed to promote commercial irrigated
agriculture and increase yields. Foremost, this must be preceded by a careful
assessment of the water resources of the country.
Modernization of traditional agriculture
• Reliance on traditional practices and crop varieties entails low production even
in years of good rainfall.
• A cautious but widespread dissemination of high-yielding crop varieties and
modern inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides and adoption of improved
storage practices are required.
Shortage of labour
• Even in years of good rainfall, the shortage of agricultural labour limits the area
of land that households can cultivate.
• Female-headed households are particularly hard hit by the labour shortage.
Land tenure and fragmentation
• Land holding, especially in the highlands and midlands (Anseba) is
fragmented, and it discourages users to invest in soil conservation and tree
planting improvements.
Increasing production of high value crops
• Eritrea has comparative advantages in the production and exportation of high
value agricultural products.
Operationalizing MDG 8 in support of national food security
• A central feature of such a mobilization effort would be the articulation of a
budgeted plan of action.
Potential areas for UN system
cooperation
Capacity building to collect, analyze and disseminate
national and household food security information
• Essential for policymaking and early action to
avert hunger and famine.
Diversification of opportunities for sustainable
livelihoods in agriculture and fisheries
• This should include assistance to pastoralists to
create sustained increases in productivity without
affecting their environment adversely.
Land use planning
• Assistance is required in the finalization and
implementation of policies, strategies and laws
related to land and land use planning, agriculture,
forestry and fisheries.
Water harvesting, management and soil conservation
• Water and soil are the greatest assets for the poor
in rural areas. Improved water harvesting and soil
conservation are crucial for rural livelihoods.