When did farming and pastoralism begin to develop in the regions connected to Ethiopia’s early history?

In the regions connected to Ethiopia’s early history, the development of food production occurred in stages. Pastoralism and agriculture first emerged in northern Africa and southwestern Asia between the 8th and 6th millennia BCE.1

In the broader context of East Africa, food production and cattle keeping began in the highland and Rift Valley regions of Kenya and northern Tanzania during the 1st millennium BCE, likely introduced by southern Cushites migrating from Ethiopia. Within Ethiopia itself, the introduction of cereal grains and the use of the plow occurred later, during the 2nd millennium BCE, potentially arriving from the region of the Sudan.21