With the aim of establishing zonal and woreda taskforce and preparing woreda accelerated plan for ‘Agricultural Transformation, Food & Nutrition Security Project’ implementation in South Omo zone, Hailemariam & Roman Foundation (HRF) organized a five-day workshop in Turmi town, South Omo, from 14-18 October 2024.
The workshop brought together more than 70 stakeholder participants, drawn from government bodies, research institutes, private sector and non-governmental organizations. “We cannot address agriculture, food and nutrition related problems in South Omo with business as usual,” said Ato Tesfaye Falaha, Chief of Agricultural Transformation and Food Security at HRF, during the workshop, emphasizing the need for stakeholders’ coordination to address systemic bottlenecks that undermine livestock and agricultural productivity and value chain in the zone.
During the five-day workshop, the participants shared a wide range of community priorities in the project implementation woredas, namely Hammer, Bena Tsemay, Dasenech and Nyangatom, and expressed their commitment to align efforts.
Funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the four-year-project aims to contribute towards transforming the livestock and agricultural productivity and value chain systems among the pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in the South Omo zone.