Research organisation, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), has launched a new report that shows how rural electrification efforts can unlock billions of dollars in new value across six agricultural processing or small business opportunities in Ethiop...
According to the report this can be achieved when farmers switch to electricity from expensive alternatives such as diesel.
In collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE); and Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), RMI’s Capturing the Productive Use Dividend: Valuing the Synergies between Rural Electrification and Smallholder Agriculture in Ethiopia report outlines the synergies between rural electrification and agricultural productivity, processing and businesses, and the value that can flow from closely linking the two.
By mapping key value chains and opportunities, this report demonstrates the economic case for a national programme to promote the productive uses of electricity.
“There is a huge opportunity for Ethiopia to capture an economic dividend and accelerate progress toward national development goals, capturing the benefits of electrification for rural smallholders,” said Francis Elisha, principal at Rocky Mountain Institute.
In the midst of current widespread global economic disruptions caused by COVID-19, compounded by the mounting threat of desert locust infestations, Ethiopia faces numerous threats to national food security including disrupted trade and import channels, food price spikes, water supply risks, and delayed or compromised harvest yields.
Ongoing efforts to transform the agriculture sector in Ethiopia, therefore, continue to be critical.
Source : www.esi-africa.com
