Population displacement and food insecurity in Ethiopia : resettlement, settlers, and hosts

271 Pages·2001·11.4 MB·English

by  Gebre, Yntiso Deko

POPULATIONDISPLACEMENTANDFOODINSECURITYINETHIOPIA:
RESETTLEMENT,SETTLERS,ANDHOSTS
By
YNTISODEKOGEBRE
ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL
OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT
OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF
DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA
2001
Copyright2001
By
YNTISODEKOGEBRE
Dedicated
to
myfather,YntisoDeko
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Manyindividuals,groups,andinstitutionscontributedtowardsthesuccessofmy
doctoral study. I am thankful to the members ofmy advisory committee, namely.
ProfessorsArtHansen,AnthonyOliver-Smith,StevenBrandt,PeterHildebrand,Clifton
Hiebsch,andAbrahamGoldmanfortheirscholarlyadvisement. Dr.Hansen,myadvisor,
deserves aspecial mention forhis guidance andhelp fromtheinception ofproposal
writingtotheproductionofthisdissertation. HetraveledtoEthiopiatoconferwithme
ontheprogressofmyfieldwork. Dr.BrandtwasmycriticalcontactpersonwhenIwas
seeking admission. He has been helpful eversince both professionally and socially.
KarenJonesandPatriciaKing,administrativestaffoftheDepartmentofAnthropology,
deservemydeepestappreciationfortheirhelpwithroutineadministrativeactivities.
IowespecialthankstotheDepartmentofAnthropologyandtheUniversityof
Florida, the Christian Michelsen Institute (CMI) of Norway, and the Rockefeller
Foundation. Iwouldnothaveenteredthegraduateprogram,ifUFhadnotwaivedtuition
fees. The CMIprovidedfinancial assistance forliving, medical insurance, books, a
computer, and transportation. The Rockefeller Foundation funded the dissertation
researchandcoveredthetravelexpensesofmysupervisorplustheadministrativecosts
ofmyhostinstitution,theDepartmentofSociologyandSocialAdministrationatAddis
AbabaUniversity. AcknowledgementsareduetoDr.AlulaPankhurst,Dr.Yeraswork
Admassie,ProfessorSeyoumGebreselassie,ProfessorAndargatchewTesfaye,andother
staffmembersoftheDepartmentofSociologyfortheirsupportandencouragement.
IV
IamgratefultothesettlersandtheGumzpeopleinMetekel,westernEthiopia,for
theircooperationintermsofprovidinginformation. TheCouncilsofMetekelZoneand
PaweSpecialWereda,andthevariousofficesunderthem,werecooperative. TheTana-
Beles Project, the Pawe Agricultural Research Center, the Pawe Hospital, CISP (an
ItalianNGO),andsomeofthenewlyestablishedcommercialfarmsprovidedvaluable
information. Several primary school teachers, agricultural extension workers,college
students, and high school students participated in various surveys conducted in the
resettlementarea. Ienjoyedworkingwiththemaswellasdevotedfieldassistantsand
translators. Whileapologizingfornotmentioningthenamesofindividuals,Iwouldlike
toexpressmyappreciationandgratefulnesstoall.
Last,butnotleast,Iwishtoexpressmydeepestgratitudetomywife(NediFana),
oursons(Dagmawi,Sidak,andMichael),andmyparents(YntisoDekoandBarepashken
Alanksh). NedihadthestrengthandpatiencetotakecareofthechildrenwhenIwas
awayforfieldwork. Duringthecourseworkandwriteup,Ineededthecompanyand
emotionalsupportofmyfamily. Theywerethereforme! Thegreatestcreditformy
achievementgoestomyparentswhoinitiatedandsupportedmyeducationalpursuits.
Thirtyyearsago,myfather,an‘uneducated’farmerinaremotecountryside,wasoneof
thefewparentsinAriwhocouldforeseethestakesinvolvedineducation. Economic
constraintsandsocialdisapprovaldidnotdiscouragehimfromsendinghisonlysonto
distantschools. Iamappreciativeofhisinitiativeandproudofhiswisdom.
V
TABLEOFCONTENTS
page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv
LISTOFTABLES xi
LISTOFFIGURES xii
LISTOFABBREVIATIONS xiii
LISTOFUNITSANDMEASUREMENTS xiv
ABSTRACT xiv
CHAPTERS
1 INTRODUCTION 1
TheResearchProblem 1
SignificanceoftheStudy 4
ResearchQuestionsandElucidation 5
ResearchMethods 9
MajorFindings
OrganizationoftheDissertation 12
2 THEORETICALAPPROACHESANDRSEARCHMETHODOLOGY 14
TheoreticalApproaches 14
DisplacementandResettlementStudies:AnOverview 14
ResettlementCausationandMigrationBehavior 15
PlaceAttachment,Resistance,andDifferentialResponses 17
DisplacementoftheHost 18
FoodSecurityApproaches:AnOverview 20
ResettlementandFoodSecurity 22
MethodsandChangesinResearchDesign 23
TechniquesofDataCollection 23
PreliminarySurvey 24
IntensiveInterviews 27
DietarySurvey 28
LargeSampleSurvey 29
VI
Census 30
PanelDiscussions 31
Observation 31
LiteratureReview 32
ChangesintheResearchDesign 32
DataAnalysis 34
LimitationsoftheStudy 35
3 THEHOSTPOPULATION 37
PopulationandLocalHistory 37
LocationandPopulation 37
LegendsofOrigin 40
ThePhysicalEnvironment 41
SoilsandVegetation 41
ClimaticConditions 42
AltitudeandTopography 42
SocialStructure 43
Household,Lineage,andClan 43
SettlementandtheVillageCommunity 44
MarriageTypesandDivorce 45
DivisionofLaborandWorkParties 47
AdministrativeandJudiciaryFunctions 48
BeliefSystems 49
AnOverviewoftheGumzEconomy 51
LandTenureandLandUseSystems 51
ShiftingCultivation 52
LivestockHusbandry 56
FoodCollection 57
CraftActivitiesandMarketInvolvement 58
MarginalizationoftheGumz 59
Center-PeripheryRelations 59
DiscriminationsandStereotypes 62
4 THE1980sRESETTLEMENTINITIATIVES 64
FamineasaDrivingForce 64
TheFamineContext 64
Drought 66
PopulationPressure 67
CivilWars 68
MisguidedDevelopmentStrategies 70
Responsestothe1980sFamine 74
IndividualandHouseholdResponses 74
NationalandInternationalResponses 76
PrecedenceandManneroftheResettlement 78
PriorResettlementExperience 78
vii
RationaleBehindtheResettlement 79
ThePlanningPhase 85
RecruitmentofSettlers 86
SelectionCriteria 87
TargetPopulation 88
Summary 92
5 DIFFERENTIALRESPONSESTOINVOLUNTARYRESETTLEMENT 94
Introduction 94
TheIntensityofFamine 97
VoluntarySettlers’Accounts 97
InvoluntarySettlers’Accounts 99
ReliefCampversusHomeEnvironment 101
InformationalInfluence 102
OutwardandInwardOrientations 104
Summary 108
6 THERESETTLEMENTEXPERIENCEANDITSEFFECTS:1984-1991 110
ThePainfulInitialAdaptation:1984-1986 110
ExpectationsandRealities HO
FoodInsecurityandDestitution 112
ExcessiveMortalityandMorbidity 113
DisastrousAgriculturalVenture 115
TheItalianInitiatives:‘PaweasanOasis’ 116
TheTana-BelesProject(TBP) 117
Theproductionsector 121
GeneralInfrastructure 122
TheCISPPrograms 123
Settlersas‘PrivilegedCitizens’ 126
SorrowsinParadise:SettlersasDowntroddenPeople 126
ReconstitutionofSettlers’Lives 126
UnfairDistributionofProduct 128
DietaryandNutritionalInadequacies 130
Assetlessness 131
CompromisedFreedom 132
Conflicts 134
Summary 136
7 SETTLERSATTHECROSSROADS:POST1991CHALLENGES 139
DrasticDeclinesinAssistance 139
ProductionShortfallsandFamine 139
RegionalizationandInstability 142
MarginalizationofSettlers 142
IndividualizedRandomAttacks 143
viii
OrganizedGroupCombats 144
TheCriticalChoice 149
FromTractortoOxen 152
ReturntothePlough 152
EconomicDifferentiation 154
AdaptationalChallenges 158
Summary 162
8 DIFFERENTIALREADJUSTMENTOFSETTLERS 165
Introduction 165
IndicatorsofReadjustmentDifferences 166
CattleOwnership 166
ResiliencetoPeriodicFoodScarcity 169
Self-ReportedSatisfaction 172
PerCapitaProduction 176
PossessionofGoods 177
EmotionalIdentificationwithHomeland 179
Summary 181
9 DISPLACEMENTOFTHEHOST(GUMZ)POPULATION 182
Absenceoflegalprotection 182
DispossessionandDislocation 184
DeclineofSidelineActivities 188
ContinuationofResourceAlienation 190
NewSpontaneousResettlements 190
MigratoryLaborers 191
TemporaryVisitors 192
SafetyandProtectionSeekers 192
Ex-Settlers(Returnees) 193
Sharecroppers 194
Establishment/ExpansionofPrivateFirms 195
ChangesintheLivelihoodStrategies 198
LandScarcityandShortenedFallowPeriod 199
LandLeasingPractices 200
TransitionfromCommunaltoPrivateControlofLand 202
ReductiontoSellingWood 204
AlcoholismandItsEffects 205
SedentarizationoftheGumz:APotentialChallenge 207
Summary 709
10 SUMMARY,CONCLUSIONS,ANDRECOMMENDATIONS 212
Summary 212
Conclusions 220
Recommendations 225
ix
GLOSSARY 228
APPENDICES 230
A VariousTypesofQuestionnaires 230
B AdditionalTables 238
LISTOFREFERENCES 241
BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 254
X