IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v23y2021i4d10.1007_s10668-020-00814-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

HANPP trajectories for Ethiopia reveal recent agricultural efficiency gains but high grazing intensity

Author

Listed:
  • Harald Grabher

    (University of Klagenfurt
    University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
    Caritas Austria)

Abstract

This study presents long-term trajectories of biomass flows and dynamics of land use change of Ethiopia between 1961 and 2013. The data from FAO sources are analysed using the Human Appropriation Net Primary Production (HANPP) methodology. By 2015, the population of Ethiopia reached the 100 million mark, with about 80 million Ethiopians subsisting on agricultural production. The average farm size was less than 1 ha. Cereal production yields have remained comparatively low. Productivity of the country’s livestock population continues to be low and about half of the cattle is held for traction. 90% of the total energy demand of Ethiopia is covered from biomass. Study findings show that the total share of potential Net Primary Productivity appropriated for human activities (or HANPP) stands at 63% by 2013. Per hectare biomass extraction from cropland triples in the study timeframe and cropland production increases hint at strong efficiency gains in the last two decades. On grazing land, total HANPP increases from 37 to 68%, mainly due to degradation modelling. Grazing amounts to one-fifth of the total biomass extracted. Ethiopia’s grazing intensity is among the highest observed globally. Forest and woodland HANPP stands at 53% in 2013. By 2005, Ethiopian HANPP levels are more than three times the average for Africa. The demonstrated levels of biomass appropriation from cropland, grazing land and forests may increase negative impacts, such soil degradation and erosion. Promoting sustainable farming practices, improving livestock productivity while reducing herd size, as well as increasing energy efficiency will be vital to reduce impacts on natural resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Harald Grabher, 2021. "HANPP trajectories for Ethiopia reveal recent agricultural efficiency gains but high grazing intensity," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 5277-5296, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:23:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-020-00814-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-020-00814-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-020-00814-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-020-00814-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum & Dorosh, Paul A. & Gemessa, Sinafikeh Asrat, 2012. "Crop production in Ethiopia: Regional patterns and trends," IFPRI book chapters, in: Dorosh, Paul A. & Rashid, Shahidur (ed.), Food and agriculture in Ethiopia: Progress and policy challenges, chapter 3, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Zika, Michael & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2009. "The global loss of net primary production resulting from human-induced soil degradation in drylands," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 310-318, December.
    3. Krausmann, Fridolin & Gingrich, Simone & Haberl, Helmut & Erb, Karl-Heinz & Musel, Annabella & Kastner, Thomas & Kohlheb, Norbert & Niedertscheider, Maria & Schwarzlmüller, Elmar, 2012. "Long-term trajectories of the human appropriation of net primary production: Lessons from six national case studies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 129-138.
    4. Gebremedhin, Berhanu & Pender, John & Tesfay, Girmay, 2004. "Collective action for grazing land management in crop-livestock mixed systems in the highlands of northern Ethiopia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 82(3), pages 273-290, December.
    5. Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob & Jumbe, Charles & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2014. "How does population density influence agricultural intensification and productivity? Evidence from Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 114-128.
    6. Dorosh, Paul A. & Rashid, Shahidur, 2012. "Food and agriculture in Ethiopia: Progress and policy challenges," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 978-0-81224-529-5 edited by Dorosh, Paul A. & Rashid, Shahidur.
    7. Dorosh, Paul A. & Rashid, Shahidur, 2012. "Introduction [In Food and agriculture in Ethiopia: Progress and policy challenges]," IFPRI book chapters, in: Dorosh, Paul A. & Rashid, Shahidur (ed.), Food and agriculture in Ethiopia: Progress and policy challenges, chapter 1, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Jaleta, Moti & Kassie, Menale & Erenstein, Olaf, 2015. "Determinants of maize stover utilization as feed, fuel and soil amendment in mixed crop-livestock systems, Ethiopia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 17-23.
    9. Tefera, B. & Ayele, Gezahegn & Atnafe, Y. & Jabbar, Mohammad A. & Dubale, P., 2002. "Nature and causes of land degradation in Oromiya region, Ethiopia – a review," Research Reports 182886, International Livestock Research Institute.
    10. Guta, Dawit Diriba, 2014. "Effect of fuelwood scarcity and socio-economic factors on household bio-based energy use and energy substitution in rural Ethiopia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 217-227.
    11. Krausmann, Fridolin & Erb, Karl-Heinz & Gingrich, Simone & Lauk, Christian & Haberl, Helmut, 2008. "Global patterns of socioeconomic biomass flows in the year 2000: A comprehensive assessment of supply, consumption and constraints," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 471-487, April.
    12. Erb, Karl-Heinz & Krausmann, Fridolin & Gaube, Veronika & Gingrich, Simone & Bondeau, Alberte & Fischer-Kowalski, Marina & Haberl, Helmut, 2009. "Analyzing the global human appropriation of net primary production -- processes, trajectories, implications. An introduction," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 250-259, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Grabher, Harald F. & Erb, Karlheinz & Singh, Simron & Haberl, Helmut, 2024. "Household energy systems based on biomass: Tracing material flows from source to service in rural Ethiopia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Minten, Bart & Stifel, David & Tamru, Seneshaw, 2012. "Structural transformation in Ethiopia: Evidence from cereal markets:," ESSP working papers 39, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Fetzel, Tamara & Gradwohl, Markus & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2014. "Conversion, intensification, and abandonment: A human appropriation of net primary production approach to analyze historic land-use dynamics in New Zealand 1860–2005," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 201-208.
    3. Grace B. Villamor, 2023. "Gender and Water-Energy-Food Nexus in the Rural Highlands of Ethiopia: Where Are the Trade-Offs?," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Chen, Aifang & Li, Ruiyun & Wang, Honglin & He, Bin, 2015. "Quantitative assessment of human appropriation of aboveground net primary production in China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 312(C), pages 54-60.
    5. Scheurlen, Elena, 2015. "Time allocation to energy resource collection in rural Ethiopia: Gender-disaggregated household responses to changes in firewood availability:," IFPRI discussion papers 1419, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Bachewe, Fantu Nisrane & Koru, Bethlehem & Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum, 2018. "Productivity and efficiency in high-potential areas," IFPRI book chapters, in: The economics of teff: Exploring Ethiopia’s biggest cash crop, chapter 7, pages 149-180, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Schmidt, Emily & Chinowsky, Paul & Robinson, Sherman & Strzepek, Kenneth M., 2014. "Summary of Determinants and impact of sustainable land and watershed management investments," ESSP research notes 30, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Kastner, Thomas, 2009. "Trajectories in human domination of ecosystems: Human appropriation of net primary production in the Philippines during the 20th century," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 260-269, December.
    9. Erb, Karl-Heinz & Krausmann, Fridolin & Lucht, Wolfgang & Haberl, Helmut, 2009. "Embodied HANPP: Mapping the spatial disconnect between global biomass production and consumption," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 328-334, December.
    10. Lauk, Christian & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2009. "Biomass consumed in anthropogenic vegetation fires: Global patterns and processes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 301-309, December.
    11. Musel, Annabella, 2009. "Human appropriation of net primary production in the United Kingdom, 1800-2000: Changes in society's impact on ecological energy flows during the agrarian-industrial transition," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 270-281, December.
    12. Banchayehu Tessema Assefa & Jordan Chamberlin & Pytrik Reidsma & João Vasco Silva & Martin K. Ittersum, 2020. "Unravelling the variability and causes of smallholder maize yield gaps in Ethiopia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(1), pages 83-103, February.
    13. Benson, Todd & Legesse, Ermias, Engida & Thurlow, James, 2018. "Expanding teff production: Economywide analysis of growth and poverty impacts," IFPRI book chapters, in: The economics of teff: Exploring Ethiopia’s biggest cash crop, chapter 10, pages 232-262, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    14. Chapoto, A. & Houssou, N. & Asante-Addo, C. & Mabiso, A., 2018. "Can smallholder farmers grow? Perspectives from the rise of indigenous small-scale farmers in Ghana," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277225, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Kohlheb, Norbert & Krausmann, Fridolin, 2009. "Land use change, biomass production and HANPP: The case of Hungary 1961-2005," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 292-300, December.
    16. Alexander Urrego-Mesa & Juan Infante-Amate & Enric Tello, 2018. "Pastures and Cash Crops: Biomass Flows in the Socio-Metabolic Transition of Twentieth-Century Colombian Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-28, December.
    17. Niedertscheider, Maria & Kuemmerle, Tobias & Müller, Daniel & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2014. "Exploring the effects of drastic institutional and socio-economic changes on land system dynamics in Germany between 1883 and 2007," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 28, pages 98-108.
    18. Abate, Gashaw Tadesse & Rashid, Shahidur & Borzaga, Carlos & Getnet, Kindie, 2015. "Rural finance and agricultural technology adoption in Ethiopia: Does institutional design matter?:," IFPRI discussion papers 1422, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    19. Tilahun Woldie Mengistu & Saurabh Gupta & Regina Birner, 2018. "Analysis of maize biomass use in Ethiopia and its implications for food security and the bioeconomy," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(6), pages 1631-1648, December.
    20. Haberl, Helmut & Kastner, Thomas & Schaffartzik, Anke & Ludwiczek, Nikolaus & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2012. "Global effects of national biomass production and consumption: Austria's embodied HANPP related to agricultural biomass in the year 2000," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 66-73.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:23:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-020-00814-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.