Safety nets as a means of tackling chronic food insecurity in rural southern Ethiopia: what is constraining programme contributions?

ABSTRACT Agriculture is the predominant livelihood in rural Ethiopia, where chronic food insecurity is prevalent. In 2005, Ethiopia launched the Productive Safety Net Program, aiming to improve rural livelihoods and food security. This study focuses on the primarily modality of the programme: food and/or cash in exchange for labour. We analyse how the supports have contributed to the stated objectives, assessing food security status using two measurement tools (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, Coping Strategies Index). We find that the programme has not reached its potential due to unpredictable and delayed payments, exposing households to unconventional debt arrangements, often exacerbating vulnerability.