Ethiopia’s national parks are working for wildlife – but not always for the people living near them

Protecting nature and reducing poverty are often treated as separate global challenges to be solved. But in many parts of Africa, the same land is needed for conserving nature and for people’s food security and livelihoods.

Ethiopia is one of the most important centres of crop diversity in Africa. It is where several crops were first grown. Hundreds of crop varieties have evolved in Ethiopia over thousands of years. They provide valuable genetic traits that help scientists breed crops that can better withstand drought, disease and climate change.