Ethiopia: ASTI–EIAR Country Factsheet

Positive signs of growth

Strong government support combined with a World Bank loan, associated with EAAPP, prompted agricultural research spending to rise by one-quarter during 2011–2014 (in inflation adjusted terms). Ethiopia’s pool of agricultural researchers expanded considerably; by about 900 FTE researchers during 2011–2014. This growth occurred evenly across EIAR, RARIs and higher education agencies.

Persistent underinvestment

Underinvestment in agricultural R&D in Ethiopia is serious. Despite recent increases in funding to agricultural research, the country’s intensity ratio continued to decline in response to high growth in the agricultural sector. EIAR (and the RARIs) received substantial funding through EAAPP and other donor-supported programs to upgrade some of its laboratory infrastructure and equipment, but many laboratories still need to be upgraded.

Improving qualification levels

As of 2014, the majority of researchers employed at EIAR and the RARIs only held BSc degrees, and turnover among MSc- and PhD-qualified researchers was high. In response, the government doubled the salary levels of senior researchers employed at EIAR. Finally, donors have contributed US$1 million to enable the hiring of retired PhD-qualified researchers to mentor EIAR’s young researchers.

Stronger coordination

In efforts to strengthen the coordination of its fragmented agricultural research system, Ethiopia developed a NARS reform strategy and established the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Council. In turn, the Council prepared a roadmap to guide the country’s agricultural research system. In addition to providing detailed analyses of current and future challenges, the roadmap determined that the system was not making use of its existing facilities, which were deemed inadequate to meet the country’s research needs.