The Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA) International Annual Conference, co-organized by IFPRI-ESSP, was held on 21-23 July in Addis Ababa. The EEA represents a professional and independent body with a primary focus on advancing the economic environment in Ethiopia and promoting economic research among institutions across the country. The EEA plays an important and practical role in building capacity by engaging institutions and the government. It serves as a platform to help formulate industrial policy in Ethiopia now and into the future.
EEA’s membership stands at approximately 4500, and this year over the three days 834 members and other local and international researchers, policy makers, and local and international development partners attended over ten sessions, covering wide-ranging topics, including challenges of agricultural structural transformation, the impact of PSNP, shocks and vulnerability, agricultural markets and extension effects on the economy.
On the first day during the plenary session, the President, ESSP’s Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, gave a welcoming address, followed by H.E Ato Newai Gebre-Ab, Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister. Dr. Alemayehu also gave the presidential address on the theme of Evidence and Economic Policy. This led into the first key topic of Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia – the prospects and challenges.
For further details about the many topics covered during the conference and the presentations, visit EEA 2016.
The 14th International Conference of the EEA was sponsored and supported by IFPRI – ESSP, Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI), The World Bank, UKAID, IZA, Economic Commission for Africa, International Growth Center (IGC), Integrated Surveys on Agriculture, University of Oxford, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, AKLDP Ethiopia, The African Capacity Building Foundation, IDRC and others.