The nature of the state and agricultural crisis in post-1975 Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s agriculture is in serious crisis even after the 1975 radical redistribution of land. A large number of internal and external factors which are often intricately interrelated are involved in generating this crisis. This paper contends that many of these factors are closely associated with the nature of the state. In an attempt to establish this association, the paper analyzes the changes both in the nature of the state and in the types of problems the country’s agriculture has encountered since the early 17th century when agricultural stagnation became more apparent. Emphasis is, however, placed on the post 1975 era.