Our story on the connection between farmland investment and displacement in Ethiopia airs today on PBS NewsHour. In recent months, both Human Rights Watch and the Oakland Institute have released reports documenting the Ethiopian government’s controversial “villagization” program.

Both organizations have questioned whether donor money is facilitating the forced relocation of Ethiopian farmers. Ethiopia is one of the top recipients of U.S. aid (more than $1 billion a year). Jan Egeland, Europe director for Human Rights Watch, said it “seems that donor money is being used, at least indirectly, to fund the villagization program.”

For an in-depth look at what Human Rights Watch uncovered, including satellite maps showing patterns of displacement, see full report here. The Oakland Institute’s investigation can be found here. 

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Cassandra Herrman is a documentary producer and videographer who has filmed in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the U.S. Her work in Africa has included stories about human rights conditions in Zimbabwe, the singer Fela Kuti in Nigeria, female runners in Kenya and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region. Her films have been nominated for two national Emmy awards. Cassandra is currently a series producer for "Food for 9 Billion," a yearlong project by the Center for Investigative Reporting, Homelands Productions, PBS NEWSHOUR and American Public Media's Marketplace.