Major components of food security program in Ethiopia

Ethiopian Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) is the major component of Food Security Program (FSP) in the country, others being Household Asset Building Program (HABP), Voluntary Resettlement Program (VRP), and Complementary Community Investment Program (CCI). PSNP is a multi-year program that makes predictable resource (cash or food) transfer to chronically food insecure targeted people. The program objective, is ‘to provide  transfers to the food insecure population in chronically food insecure woredas in a way that prevents asset depletion at the household level and creates assets at the community level… address immediate human needs while simultaneously (i) supporting the rural transformation process, (ii) preventing long-term consequences of short-term consumption shortages, (iii) encouraging households to engage in production and investment, and (iv) promoting market development by increasing household purchasing power’. The PSNP has two components: (1) direct support and (2) public work. PSNP has four phases: PSNP I (January 2005 – December 2006), PSNP II (January 2006 – December 2009), PSNP III (January 2010 – December 2014), and PSNP IV (January 2015 – December 2020)

PSNP IV was introduced in January 2015 (but commenced in June 2015). This specific program targets sub-components such as (1) permanent direct support component; (2) public works and links to social services facilities component; (3) livelihoods component; (4) social accountability and complaints and grievances; and (5) risk management. The key development partners[1] supporting the program are coordinated through the World Bank and the government of Ethiopia. It is unique from its other forerunner phases. Its unique feature, inter alia, is urban food security component known as Urban Productive Safety Net Program (UPSNP). UPDNP has three major interrelated sub-programs. These are unconditional direct support, public work sub-program and livelihood sub program.