Ethiopia Productive Safety Net Programme

An Ethiopian government food security program established in 2005 to prevent household asset depletion and build community assets among the country's chronically food-insecure population, operating across six regions: Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region, and Tigray. The programme works through two linked mechanisms, conditional support in the form of cash or food payments made in exchange for labor on public works projects such as infrastructure development and environmental protection like terracing, and direct, unconditional support for households with limited labor capacity, including those containing pregnant or lactating women or infants who cannot participate in public works. By 2015 the programme had reached more than seven million people, making it Africa's second-largest social safety net program, and research by the International Food Policy Research Institute found it effectively targeted the poorest households and measurably improved food security and spending patterns among its beneficiaries, with implementation supported by the World Bank, the World Food Programme, USAID and several European development agencies.