Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and is expected to cross 300 million margin by the year 2050 - projected to become among the world’s top ten most populous countries. This is anticipated to induce greater demand for increased agricultural production, food, forest, energy and other natural resources such as land, and it is also expected to significantly influence the manner in which these resources are utilized. Despite a recent economic upturn where the country’s economy was estimated to be growing at 8-11% annually making it the fifth-fastest growing economy among the 188 countries, Ethiopia still faces a number of critical development challenges. Smallholder agriculture is the main livelihood for an overwhelming majority of Ethiopia’s population, and it is the basis of the country’s national economy. However, most Ethiopian smallholder farmers still practice subsistence level and less diversified rain fed agriculture with very low agricultural productivity. Thus, food and nutritional insecurity still remain high in the country, and most rural smallholder farming households live under a very fragile existence.