Rural people around the world continue to struggle with food insecurity, persistent poverty and inequality, and environmental degradation. The 2019 Global Food Policy Report – that will be presented at this event – highlights the urgency of rural revitalization to address the crisis in rural areas. Policies, institutions, and investments that take advantage of new opportunities and technologies, increase access to basic services, create more and better rural jobs, foster gender equality, promote good governance, and restore the environment can make rural areas vibrant and healthy places to live and work.

In Ethiopia in particular, recent analysis – based on the national household consumption expenditure surveys of 2011 and 2016 – shows that monetary living standards of rural households remain low and that consumption growth in rural areas has been significantly below urban ones. Moreover, real consumption of the bottom quintile did not change and the poorest were therefore excluded from the ongoing transformation process in Ethiopia, leading to increased inequality in the country.

The conference aims to bring stakeholders together to present an overview of key issues in rural areas and discuss the lessons learnt from experiences with rural revitalization in a large number of countries. It will then focus on Ethiopia in particular and provide evidence on ongoing changes so as to further inform the discussion on rural transformation and on ways to make it more inclusive.

Opening Remarks

• Afeikhena Jerome, Special Advisor to the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission (AUC)
• Lamin Manneh, Regional Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Keynote Address on Rural Revitalization

• Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI

Global Panel on Rural Revitalization (with Q&A), Moderated by Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Panelists

• Alessandra Casazza, Programme Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Odette Kabaya, Team Leader, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Newai Gebreab, former Executive Director, Ethiopian Development Research Institute
• Michael Mulford, Chief of Party, World Vision
• Tom Bundervoet, Poverty Economist, The World Bank Group

Keynote Address on Ethiopia’s new Transformation Agenda

• H.E. Dr. Eyob Tekalign, State Minister, Ministry of Finance

Transformation and Inclusion in Rural Ethiopia

Welfare Changes in Rural Ethiopia: 2011-2016

• Tom Bundervoet, Poverty Economist, The World Bank Group

Economic Lives of the Poor in Rural Ethiopia

• Fanaye Taddesse, Research Officer, Policy Studies Institute (PSI)

Focus on Ethiopia: Session 1 (with Q&A), Chaired by Guush Berhane, Research Fellow, IFPRI

Public Investments and Rural Poverty Reduction

• Paul Dorosh, Director, Development Strategy and Governance, IFPRI

Inclusive Transformation in Crop Agriculture

• Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Farm Size, Food Security and Welfare

• Bart Minten, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Inclusive Transformation in the Livestock Sector

• Seneshaw Tamru, Researcher, IFPRI

The Poor and Rural Jobs in Ethiopia’s Transforming Economy

• Fantu Bachewe, Research Coordinator, IFPRI

Focus on Ethiopia: Session 2 (with Q&A), Chaired by Bart Minten, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Rural Land Policies, Land Market Potential, and Agricultural Transformation

• Hosaena Ghebru, Research Fellow, IFPRI

Changes in Nutrition Outcomes in Ethiopia, 2000-2016

• Kalle Hirvonen, Research Fellow, IFPRI

Rural Financial Markets

• Bethelhem Koru, Research Officer, Policy Studies Institute (PSI)

The Role of Secondary Cities on Ethiopia’s Rural Development

• Tadesse Kuma, Senior Researcher, Policy Studies Institute (PSI)

Targeting and the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP)

• Guush Berhane, Research Fellow, IFPRI

Closing Remarks

• Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI

Reception