There are few countries in the world where the need to reconcile the requirements for conservation of natural resources with the exigencies of development is as acute as it is in Ethiopia. The country is affected by chronic food insecurity and is dependent on external food aid. It is one of the poorest countries in the world and ranks 171 (out of 174) on the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index. The overwhelming majority of its population—85%—is engaged in low-yield agriculture, in which technology is said not to have changed much for thousands of years. This population is growing at an annual rate of 2.5%. Agricultural land is scarce, forests have largely disappeared, and water is limited in many places. How can resources be conserved and development strengthened? What is the outlook for the future in the badly eroded and overpopulated Ethiopian highlands?
