Even though the horticulture sector has been contributing significantly to Ethiopia’s hard currency earnings and employing people, it has not gotten the attention it deserves. Horticulture experts are hoping for more in national logistical strategy and higher education curriculums.
Experts gathering at the research conference on ‘Agro-Logistics for Competitiveness of the Ethiopian Horticulture Industry’ organized though a partnership with Addis Ababa University and Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) held on Saturday July 6, stated that the government should add a strategy to improve the movement of perishable goods.
Shiferaw Mitiku, Assistant Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Addis Ababa University, told Capital that the Ministry of Transport ratified a national strategy for the logistics sector that does not give attention to perishable goods.
“It is not included on the curriculum of higher education institutions and this needs to change,” he said. 
Because the country is landlocked logistics need to work well in order to remain competitive.
“Perishable logistics are very sensitive to time, temperature and means of handling, transporting and storage. A delay in any transaction, which requires programing and calculation will result in perishing,” Shiferaw said during his presentation at the conference.
The logistics issues at customs, airport, LC at banks, failing to carry export documents result in the plants perishing. The market demand needs to be better understood and as well as ways to avoid delays, experts said.
Tewodros Zewdie, Executive Director of EHPEA, told Capital that the event has evaluated the challenges and opportunities in agriculture logistics and the research shared with policy makers.
He said that the conference addressed the extraordinary logistics fees that are a challenge for market competitiveness. “Our knowledge on perishable logistics is very backward compared with other competitive countries and investors are not getting involved,”
“Our logistics index on the World Bank is very weak and that should be improved, while the government is working to change that,” Tewodros said. “More than floriculture the fruit and vegetable sector is huge potential for the country but it needs adequate logistics for perishable goods,” he added.
Improving the local capacity and allowing foreign firms with their experience to improve the logistics sector and the recent government decision to open 49 percent of the logistics sector to foreigners might improve things, according to Executive Director.
Horticulture creates job opportunities for 199,640, of which 76 percent are attributed to empowerment of women. Ethiopia is the fourth largest non-EU exporter of cut-flowers to the European Union and the second largest flower exporter from Africa next to Kenya.
Better logistics means better profits
Development partner to bolster women entrepreneurs
Development finance institutions of Canada, the UK, France, and the United States in partnership with Master Card Foundation have launched an initiative to support women entrepreneurs.
The institutions launched the 2X Invest Impact Business Competitions at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Addis Ababa.
The project focuses on East African countries specifically Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda aimed at supporting women-owned business to increase the commerciality of their product and create impact local community.
The competition has four categories such as projects aligned to the sustainable development goals, small and medium scale business (SME), social entrepreneurs, and innovation-focused business on health, technology, agriculture and tourism.
The competition is open only to the majority of women-owned business that will be done via electronic methods which will be selected through applications on their website.
“The women-focused business competitions will help them to create networking and access to finance,“ said Stephanie Emoden, Director of Impact Fin Dev Canada.
The entries for all tracks of the competition will begin next a week and remain up to the end of September by which the 25 finalists, five women participants from each of the participant countries will compete for the 85,000 USD prize that will be expected to be announced in the mid of November 2019.
Apart from this, a total of 100 women participants will be chosen from all the competition entrants to participate in any one of the four tracks.
According to the organizers, all selected participant in the 2X invest impact program will be the founding member of 2X connect anew online community dedicated for African women entrepreneurs and designed to support collaboration, leadership and key business skills.
“We need 2X a platform to connect, learn and celebrate the power of East African women business leaders who are positively impacting their communities, countries and continent,” adds Emoden.
Fast food instead of traditional food means poor health
Global experts meeting in Addis Ababa to discuss food safety and healthy nutrition recommended that Ethiopia promote its traditional healthy foods to avoid obesity and health problems.
Jessica Fanzao, Bloomberg Distinguished Associate Professor of Global Food & Agricultural Policy and Ethics at the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies told Capital that Ethiopia has healthy traditional foods and should celebrate them and choose them over fast food.
“You have ‘Injera’ and other pure organic foods that are good for health and you should be concerned about the increasing amount of fast foods because they create obesity and other diseases. The traditional foods must be the dominant food on the Ethiopian table to prevent this. Ethiopia should learn from the US which has many non-communicable diseases,” Jessica said.
She continued, “Sure, foreign fast food entrants must be regulated and cautioned against. But cultural beliefs about body aesthetics are yet to fully change and this will continue to impede any progress in the area if it is not addressed.”
Recent research indicates that the growing rate of obesity in the country is being fueled by changing lifestyles, diet, social pressure and status.
Jessica lauded Ethiopia’s efforts to reduce stunting.
“Ghana and Ethiopia do great jobs fighting stunting and people should follow their example. Now food safety and healthy nutrition guidelines are being prepared to help the global world a healthy nutrition I hope counties will use this and apply in their own system in the near future.’’
There is growing concern about rising obesity in Ghana and Africa at large. According to research by Quartz, obesity is high among urban African women between 15 and 49 years and has increased in the 24 African countries the research has been conducted in over the last 25 years.
Egypt has the highest prevalence of obesity, with two out of every five Egyptians (39%) being obese, followed by 22% in Ghana, with obesity being most prevalent among lower income earners. Among obesity factors, the most cited today is fast food.
A World Health Organization report earlier this year found that the prevalence of overweight and obese children on this continent had surged from 4.8 percent to 6.1 percent in the last 25 years. The number of these children has doubled, from 5.4 million to 10.3 million.
