Revitalizing agricultural/pastoral incomes and new markets, Oromia and Somali Region, Ethiopia : final evaluation

It addressed the immediate needs of drought affected populations while also providing communities with skills and opportunities to reduce the impact of future droughts, violent conflict, and other outside barriers to development. The project therefore aimed to: (1) prevent food insecurity and livelihoods collapse via improved preparedness; and (2) protect existing productive asset base to strengthen and diversify livelihoods; and promote market-based business models, local economic development, and economic integration and trade with neighbors. RAIN's experience has demonstrated that even when environmental, economic, political and social conditions are stressed, market systems are dynamic and continue to operate in the stressed state. In addition to this, it has shown that even in the most complex and strained environments, if market systems are supported to overcome key obstacles, the private sector responds to opportunities and incentives to bring change to markets that work for the poor. This experience also indicates that subsidized service provisions have a distorting effect, undermining the viability of existing or emerging private sector investment. In order to prevent this, relief operations should be designed to meet immediate needs while minimizing distortions, avoiding undermining long-term programming and contributing to positive market system change, if possible. (Excerpt, modified)