The Role of Agricultural Production and Trade Integration in Sustainable Rural Development

Abstract

Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Africa with rainfed agriculture as a backbone of its economy. Most of the population, 79.3%, are rural residents. Sustainable rural development can be achieved if great attention is given to the labor-intensive sector of the country, agriculture, by improving the level of productivity through research-based information and technologies, increasing the supply of industrial and export crops, and ensuring the rehabilitation and conservation of natural resource bases with special consideration packages. The improvement in agricultural productivity alone cannot bring sustainable development unless supported by appropriate domestic and international trade. The main objective of this study is to identify and examine key determinants that influence agricultural productivity to assure food security, as well as to analyze domestic and foreign trade in agricultural products in Ethiopia.