SOAS Research Online

Abstract

Eritrea's models of self-reliance policy and its collective of governance strategy are exceptional which is not experienced in other African countries. The government strongly argues that development cannot be achieved through aid but can be attained through trade and investment from development partners (GebreMichael 2016). As a new country when Eritrea achieved its independence in 1991, the government received a war-torn country with poor or nonexistent public service. All development programs started from scratch. However, in the past two decades, the government established substantial funds to build a network of dams throughout the country to reduce the dependence of rainfed agricultural activities and practice modern agricultural techniques that can increase agricultural productivity and adopt a mechanism that can overcome the effect of climate change. To attain the desired food and water security in the past 30 years the government built 785 big and small dams (Ministry of Information 2021). It is very hard for the Eritrean government to purchase the desired amount and type of food on need because of the sanctions so the only option of the government is to produce it through the implementing of the Self-reliance model and the collective governance model that engages different institutions in the process. Doing that a considerable progress has been attained on the reduction of poverty and increasing the agricultural productivity that ensured food and nutrition security. It is hard to achieve both food and nutrition security with the existence of food supply gaps that does not cause hunger. A report obtained from the Ministry of Finance and National Development (2021) indicated that “although comprehensive end data are unavailable the proportions of poor people and those suffering from food insecurity in the country are believed to have declined subsequently since independence 1991” (Ministry of Finance and National Development 2021:48)