Green Revolution Technology Takes Root in Africa: the Promise and Challenge of the Ministry of Agriculture/sg2000 Experiment with Improved Cereals Technology in Ethiopia

Background and Objectives: Ethiopia’s food insecurity will increase unless it can dramatically boost agricultural productivity. In 1993, the Sasakawa/Global 2000 Program (SG) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) began a joint program to demonstrate that substantial productivity increases could be achieved when farmers were given appropriate extension messages and agricultural inputs were delivered on time at reasonable prices. The program provided credit, inputs and extension assistance to participants willing to establish half-hectare demonstration plots on their own land. In 1995, the MOA/SG demonstration program reached more than 3,500 farmers. During the same year MOA launched the New Extension Program (NEP) based on SG principles but managed independently. By 1997, NEP was managing the bulk of the demonstration plots (about 650,000).