The Norwegian Government on 16 May 2007 signed an agreement with the government of the Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia and FAO supporting the extension of a Seed Security Project in three zones east of the capital Addis Ababa. The Project Document was signed by the Norwegian Ambassador, H. E. Mr. Jens-Petter Kjemprud, with H. E. Ato Muktar Kadir, Vice President of Oromia National Regional State, and H. E. Mr. Mafa E. Chipeta, Sub-regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and FAO representative in Ethiopia, to AU and ECA.
The Project will run for five years, and be implemented by the regional government in three zones (East Harerghe, West Harerghe and East Shoa). At the end of the Project period, some 6,000 household will have been assisted, and a community based sustainable seed entreprise model being developed and established.
In a comment, Mr. Kjemprud, expressed satisfaction that an agreement in such an important food security area has been reached. "Agricultural development and growth is impossible without sufficient and reliable access for the farmers to quality seeds. This project will hopefully be able to demonstrate how Ethiopia's local communities themselves can take measures in their own hand to improve their food security situation. If other farmers witnessing the results from these efforts, another important seed may grow: The belief that it is possible to create a reliable local supply of quality seeds by simple means of investments in seed entreprises like these."
The Norwegian Government has accepted a request from the Ethiopian Government to act as chef de file, or goodwill ambassador, for the United Nations' Convention on Combatting Desertification (UNCCD), and the new Seed Security Project is regarded as an important demonstration of the need for investments in local capacity to develop agricultural tools adopted to rain dependent dry- and semi-dry crop conditions. In the course of the next five to ten years, the Norwegian Government through its Embassy in Addis Ababa will both support measures to combat desertification, and mobilise additional donor support to various relevant interventions as defined by the Government of Ethiopia.