WEBINAR | Doing Business in Ethiopia: Opportunities for Trade and Investment in the Horticulture Industry
Doing Business in Ethiopia: Opportunities for trade and investment in the Horticulture Sector
Thursday 4th February 2020 | 11:00am (London, GMT) | 14:00 (Addis Ababa, GMT +3)
Online via Zoom
Participation in the webinar is by invitation only. Register by email with your full name, affiliation, and contact information.
Register
Background
Ethiopia’s vast land, favourable climate, and water and land resources combine to make it an incredible hub for investment. The country is endowed with extensive natural resources in different agro-climatic zones suitable for the production of many flowers, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Export of horticulture produce is booming – it is the fifth foreign revenue earner for the country. Ethiopia is the second-largest supplier and exporter of the highest quality flowers in Africa. Currently, close to 130 companies are engaged in horticultural crop production, of which the largest percentage is owned by foreign investors.
Apart from the abundant trade and investment potential, the geographical proximity of the country to major international markets (such as the Middle East and Europe) puts Ethiopia in an advantageous position. Located in the horn of Africa, Ethiopia is at the crossroads between Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, and is within easy reach of the Horn’s major ports. This geographical proximity provides major exporters unparalleled access to the Ethiopian horticultural market. Furthermore, Ethiopian Airlines, through its new world-class cargo terminal in Addis Ababa, connects Africa to the rest of the world through its vast network and guarantees the quality and shelf life of fresh produce.
Ethiopia has managed to attract a number of foreign companies from the Netherlands, India, USA, Israel, Saudi Arabia, German, UK, France, Ecuador, Belgium, among others.
With new reforms underway to transform horticulture into one of the leading sectors of the economy, opportunities for trade and investment are plentiful. We, therefore, invite British stakeholders in this sector to discover the many opportunities available in Ethiopia.
About the Webinar
Organised by the Ethiopian Embassy in London, in collaboration with key stakeholders, this webinar aims at promoting Ethio-UK business relations in the horticulture sector and will provide opportunities for stakeholders to discuss ways of tapping the huge potential in the sector.
The webinar also aims to:
- increase and create business linkages among participants of both countries to increase trade and promote investment.
- provide key insights on the current landscape of the Ethiopian horticulture sector
- address the bottlenecks that businesses face in the sector and offer insights on how to alleviate these barriers
- explore the benefits that Ethiopia can gain from the British innovative approach as they continue their journey to becoming a high-tech agricultural hub in Europe.
Target Audience
The webinar is open to all stakeholders interested in the horticulture industry and related sectors, including:
- Key government institutions in Ethiopia and the UK
- Representatives from the public and private sectors
- Agriculture Associations
- Trade Associations
- Supermarkets and Suppliers
- Importers and Exporters
- Chambers of Commerce and Industries
Programme
Please note that this programme is subject to change without notice.
Welcome: Mr. Araya Kidane, Head of Business Diplomacy, Embassy of Ethiopia, London
Opening Remarks: H.E. Mr. Teferi Melesse Desta, Ambassador of Ethiopia to the United Kingdom
Keynote Speakers:
- H.E. Mr. Wondale Habtamu State Minister of Ministry of Agriculture
- The Rt Hon Lord Michael Bates, British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Ethiopia
Session One: Opportunities in pre-cut and packaged produce for export to supermarket chains in UK/Europe
Panellists:
- Dr Bayisa Bedada, Commissioner, Oromia Investment Commission
- Dr Getahun Mekonnen, Deputy Head, Amhara Industry and Investment Bureau
- Mr. Jeremy Lefroy, Former British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Ethiopia
- Jacie Jones, Co-Founder & Managing Director, The Perennial Foods Group OR Ele Gower, Commercial Manager, Greenpath Food
- Mr Aswin Endeman, Business Support and CSR Manager, AfriFlora / Sher Ethiopia
Q & A
Session Two: Export potential of Ethiopian produce – Supply for UK buyers
Presentation: Mr. Tewodros Zewdi, Executive Director, Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association – “Current status and challenges of Ethiopian Horticulture: Latest developments in Horticulture cluster for new investment and expansion”
Panellists:
- Mr. Tewodros Zewdi, Executive Director, Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association
- Mr. Evert Wulfrank, Chief Executive Officer, Durabilis
Q & A
Session Three: Route to Market – Transport and Logistics
Panellists:
- Mr. Michael Yohannes, UK and Ireland Director, Ethiopian Airlines
- Mr. Tom Bouwman, Senior Project Manager of the Flying Swans consortium, Netherlands
Q & A
Concluding Remarks
Registration
Participation in the webinar is by invitation only. However, please note that this virtual event will be broadcast live via the Embassy Facebook page.
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