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Revolution: From Food Aid to Food Assistance — Activities and Platforms
2. Inside the PSNP 2.1 Origins In early June 2003, the Prime Minister’s office convened an extraordinary session of key government officials, donors, the United Nations and NGOs to initiate a major campaign to reduce hunger and food insecurity. The New Coalition for Food Security in Ethiopia was born. The Coalition was tasked with identifying strategic interventions to address and reverse the critical levels of food insecurity in Ethiopia. The work of the Coalition was informed by the large-scale food crisis that hit Ethiopia during the course of 2002 and 2003, described as “…one of the most widespread and severe emergencies ever to strike Ethiopia.” (Lautze et al., 2003: 41). As the crisis worsened, the government released a new Food Security Strategy. For the first time, a Government of Ethiopia recognized openly that “unpredictable shocks do not suddenly lead to acute food insecurity unless people are already very poor, as is the case of the chronically food-insecure.” This acknowledged that food crisis in Ethiopia was mainly a development problem: an inability to manage the risks associated with the erratic weather experienced by Ethiopia. And that many in rural areas actually faced chronic acute food insecurity. Grounded in the principles of social protection, the PSNP evolved from the work of the Coalition. While responding to a humanitarian need, the PSNP’s design was informed by the need to support households to better manage their risks while addressing the causes, rather than the symptoms of crisis. 2.2 Overarching features Four core features underpin the PSNP approach and shaped its design: the PSNP’s nationally led platform for harmonization; its multi-annual approach; its entitlement and productive-oriented approach; and its integration within a broader food security framework. These elements are briefly described in the following paragraphs. (i) A harmonized multi-actor platform, founded on strong government engagement and commitment: Launched in 2005, the PSNP is a partnership between the Government of Ethiopia and a group of donors.3 Donors providing cash have pooled their financing in a World Bank multi-donor trust fund that provides direct budgetary support to the government. Those providing food each channel their food separately, although the food remains within the unified budgetary framework for a single government-led programme coordinated by the Food Security Coordination Directorate (FSCD) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. All partners have also agreed and strictly adhere to a