IDE-UK has received a € 1.56 million grant from the European Union to implement the Rural Agricultural Productivity Improvement and Development (RAPID) programme in Ethiopia.  RAPID will form part of the EU supported efforts under their ‘Food Facility’ initiative to help the rural population in Ethiopia cope with the rampant food price inflation in Ethiopia since 2008.

The programme  aims at increasing the productivity of food and cash crops and expanding the range of agricultural activities to increase the incomes of 6,600 farmers living in six districts in Oromiya and Southern regions; namely Arsi Negelle, Dugda, Adami Tulu, Kacha Bira, Lanfuro and Shashogo.

As a result of this project poor smallholders farmers will be able to overcome major production barriers, in particular lack of access to essential agricultural inputs and technologies, which is currently undermining their productivity and income.

This is a very exciting opportunity for IDE to help create the conditions which will enable many thousands of poor farmers to increase production of crops for consumption and the market. This is also the first time that the European Union, the world’s biggest donor to developing countries, has invested in IDE and our unique work with small farmers.