ISFM significantly increases farm income, with an average net income increase of 80%, and wheat being the most profitable crop. However, income variability persists as some farmers face low or negative net return when labour costs are accounted for. Adoption is also hindered by limited input access, credit constraints and labour shortage. Methodological limitations, including data issues and spillover effects, suggest caution in generalizing findings. Further research is needed to refine insights in regional and crop-specific dynamics. The findings highlight ISFM’s significant impact on smallholder income, reinforcing its potential for sustainable agricultural development in the Ethiopian highlands.

The local government's efforts in the Amhara region to combat land degradation and food insecurity are commendable, especially with the positive outcomes seen in rehabilitated lands and increased agricultural productivity. However, the challenges you've highlighted regarding the government's top-down approach are significant. The high staff turnover, understaffing, and limited functionality of key committees hinder effective project management and slow down implementation. Moreover, issues with the delivery of inputs, as well as reduced community participation and ownership, raise important questions about transparency and accountability.

In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, agriculture is transformed through small-scale mechanization. In the Emba Alaje district, the Dellet Agricultural Mechanization Youth Group has been providing Mechanization services with twowheel tractors to the local community. Since 2021, the group has been supported by the Integrated Soil Fertility Management Project and CIMMYT through trainings and the provision of accessories for their tractors. By modernizing traditional farming methods, which relied on animal and human power, they help local farmers increase productivity, reduce labour, and adapt to climate change. This shift not only boosts agricultural output but also contributes to higher incomes and better livelihoods for smallholder farmers in the region.

Agriculture is the primary economic activity in Ethiopia, with the majority of the population engaged in farming. However, food security remains a significant challenge, largely due to issues such as soil degradation and low fertility. Addressing soil fertility is essential for improving the livelihoods of Ethiopian farmers.To tackle this issue, the Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM+) project promotes a set of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies and emphasizes peer learning and participatory approaches to enhance the effectiveness of these interventions. This report presents the findings of a 2024 survey aimed at tracking the dissemination, application, and adoption of ISFM technologies by smallholder farmers in the project’s intervention areas.

The Integrated Soil Fertility Management project (ISFM+) is part of the Special Initiative ‘’Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems’’ of the German Government. The project aims at improving soil fertility and productivity in the Highland regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, Sidama, Southern and Central-Ethiopia) through promoting integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies.

➢ Local production of stoves and fuel started

➢ Fuel from waste and sustainably grown wood from agroforestry plantations

➢ Establishment of 4 workshops per year

➢ 50 jobs per workshop

➢ biochar from households is used for biochar-compost production (carbon removal)

Women suffer disproportionally from time poverty, often spending 16 h a day working. This severely limits their possibilities to participate in capacity building (reach) or to implement measures (benefit) as well as their ability to participate and advocate in decision-making processes (empower).

An anthropological study revealed that farm work such as planting, processing, threshing/shelling and weeding consume much of their time. Also fetching water is a huge challenge. Women headed households are also unable to plough their fields without support by male relative and are therefore often disowned of their property or its economic use. Moreover, unequal access to resources exacerbates these challenges, hindering women from realizing their full potential in the agricultural sector.

Some of these constrains can be addressed by the broad deployment of small-scale mechanization options. Two-wheel tractors operated by local service providers have been shown to be in great demand especially by women.

Environmental deterioration, ill health, and premature mortality are interrelated, and all are significantly influenced by global food systems. Currently, there is growing interest in switching to a sustainable system that ensures the production of diversified food products while ensuring the regenerative use of natural resources and addressing societal needs. Agroecology – a transdisciplinary approach simultaneously applying ecological and social concepts and promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems – addresses these needs and has therefore received global attention. In widely promoting agroecology, there is also a need to assess its level of integration and effectiveness. To this end, the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) – a global analytical framework developed with contributions from numerous international organizations and with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) serving as the host – is widely employed to assess the multidimensional performance of agroecology and to generate evidence.

The Measuring Agroecology and its Performance (MAP) project is a collaborative initiative of the Agroecology TPP aimed at fostering agroecological transitions by generating evidence of agroecology’s contribution to societal goals. The MAP project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-funded by the European Union (EU) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) was applied in 2024 in three Ethiopian districts (Hula, Sodo-Zuria and Walmara) in the context of the Global Programme “Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security” (ProSoil), operating as ISFM+ in Ethiopia. To assess the contribution of ProSoil to agroecological transitions of farmers and their multidimensional performance, TAPE was applied with 99 households that actively participated in ProSoil activities (ProSoil group) and with 99 households that had not actively participated in the programme (comparison group).

Land degradation and declining productivity in the Ethiopian Highlands are primarily caused by soil fertility decline due to erosion, nutrient depletion, and soil acidity. An integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) project operating over a six-year period aimed to combat this and boost yields through participatory demonstrations. Despite high levels of yield variability expected from a farmer-managed observational study over a wide area, results show that crop yields increased with increased use of ISFM. Detailed statistical analysis using multiple linear regression models explained the contribution of individual practices. Use of improved varieties and line-seeding rather than broadcasting were consistently and highly significant. The contribution of inorganic blended fertiliser was less clear, probably due to low soil organic matter and use on acidic soils, although response to nitrogen was highly significant. The contribution of organic fertilisers was less than expected, possibly due to soil disturbance from farmer practices of multiple ploughing. Responses to crop residue management and agroforestry practices were significant on most crops reflecting their importance in improving soil water management, soil organic matter and recycling nutrients. Response to lime application on acid soils was highly significant confirming the importance of correcting acidity. Unexplained differences are attributed to the additive effects of using several ISFM treatments as well as unrecorded beneficial farmer management practices. It can be concluded that ISFM can play an essential role in improving productivity, addressing food insecurity and the challenges of climate change. Further expansion will require advocacy, awareness-raising, field-level extension and involvement of the private sector.

This “Soil Fertility Management” technical manual is designed as a training package targeted to reach communities. The manual consists and provides technical information and theoretical backgrounds for “Integrated Soil Fertility Management” (ISFM) technologies for woreda experts and Development Agents for use as a teaching and learning aid.

The manual is available at GIZ-SURED programme offices or as free download from the Ministry of Agriculture website. An additional manual developed by the SURED programme “Training Manual for Biological Soil and Water Conservation” provides additional and complementary information.

The Guide is designed to firstly raise awareness among farmers about soil fertility problems, secondly, how different measures can be used in an integrated approach, and thirdly, how to try, monitoring and evaluating different practices. Understanding the key physical and biological features of soils is essential for developing sustainable improvement strategies. Helping farmers to gain and improve their knowledge will enable them to make conscious choices for how to manage their soils, their crops and their livestock.

Documented by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, this compilation consists of three SLM practices for rehabilitating dry valleys employed across Ethiopia. Technologies such as ‘Water-spreading Weirs’ and ‘Masonry Check Dams’ and approaches such as ‘Participatory Rehabilitation of Dry Valleys’ represent a response to the needs and conditions of Ethiopia’s degraded landscapes. The practices have been published on the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) global database to enhance adoption.

By documenting and disseminating these SLM technologies, this compilation aims to support the efforts of policymakers, practitioners, and communities working to safeguard Ethiopia’s soil health and agricultural productivity. It is our hope that this resource will contribute to informed decision-making, foster knowledge exchange, and ultimately help build a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector in Ethiopia.

Fourteen selected SLM practices under the ISFM+ project were documented by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and published on the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) global database for scaling out. By documenting and disseminating these ISFM technologies, this compilation aims to support the efforts of policymakers, practitioners, and communities working to safeguard Ethiopia’s soil health and agricultural productivity. It is our hope that this resource will contribute to informed decision-making, foster knowledge exchange, and ultimately help build a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector in Ethiopia.

Despite its importance, many national restoration monitoring frameworks still lack robust systems for tracking management practices at finer scales. Most reporting focuses on broad targets such as tree cover increase or total hectares restored—yet these figures alone don’t tell us whether restoration efforts are truly improving ecosystem function. Without clear data on soil health, vegetation recovery, erosion reduction, or water availability, restoration risks being implemented without understanding its actual effectiveness on the ground.

This Restoration Monitoring Guide addresses that gap. It provides a hands-on, field-ready approach for monitoring restoration outcomes at both plot and watershed levels. Developed for district-level field agents, extension staff, and natural resource management officers, the guide supports locally grounded, scientifically robust monitoring that enhances decision-making, accountability, and adaptive management.

Despite the benefits, there are few policies that incentivize farmers to invest in maintaining and improving soil health. This policy brief highlights opportunities for the inclusion of soil health and soil organic carbon (SOC) into the National Determined Contributions (NDC) of Ethiopia.