ABSTRACT
In Ethiopia, government ‘development agents’ (DAs) are responsible for ensuring the equitable delivery of grain as part of Food for Work schemes. They are the last, and crucial, link in the Local Level Participatory Planning Approach (LLPPA), the brainchild of experts in the World Food Programme (WFP) and the federal government in Addis Ababa. The DAs have to consult with local farmers’ representatives, draw up a plan of proposed activities (often connected to natural resources management), check that work quotas are met, and finally, oversee the distribution of grain. Their role is clearly critical in a situation of chronic food insecurity.
