food Marketing - Technology 4/2023

Marketing
Still Largely Unknown: Ethiopia as an
Export Country for Natural Ingredients
As an export country for agricultural products, Ethiopia is only known to a few experts of Africa. However,
the country, which covers an area of more than 1.1 million km 2 , has great potential: not only does it have a
large, unexploited land area, but it also has sufficient water and a predominantly temperate climate due to
its high altitudes.
The infrastructure in the country and thus the prerequisite for smooth logistics is also steadily improving.
The Import Promotion Desk (IPD) has been active in Ethiopia since 2015 and supports small and mediumsized
enterprises in their export ambitions. The companies in the IPD programme offer products that are
in demand on the European market. In addition, they also stand out for the high quality of their natural
ingredients. Many already have certificates such as HACCP and ISO 220000 or are currently working on
certification – this includes the organic label, among others.
Water Tower of East Africa
Ethiopia is often referred to as the
“water tower of East Africa” because it
has extensive surface and groundwater
resources. At the same time, Ethiopia
has a large number of agro-ecological
zones suitable for the production of a
wide variety of crops throughout the
year. In particular, the highlands have
very favorable climatic conditions for
agricultural production. Nevertheless,
only about 16 million hectares are
used for agriculture and this mainly by
smallholder families for self-sufficiency.
IPD works with companies that want
to exploit Ethiopia’s natural potential
and produce natural ingredients for
export. They often work closely with
smallholder farmers, whose raw
produce they process. “A big advantage
is that we link European importers
directly with Ethiopian producers,” says
Nicole Schauer, IPD Expert Sourcing +
Markets. “This saves buyers the step
of going through intermediaries and,
consequently, procurement costs. At
the same time, they have a partner who
can transparently show the supply chain
and explain its quality management or
demonstrate it on site.
Home country of coffee
Ethiopia’s best-known product is
probably coffee. The Kafa region is
considered the birthplace of coffee as
the Arabica bean was first cultivated
there. The climatic conditions and soil
make the coffee plants and cherries
thrive. The coffee tradition and the
know-how of the coffee farmers,
passed down from generation to
generation, have laid the foundation
for high-quality processing.
Ethiopia is Africa’s largest coffee
producer and home to many innovative
coffee companies. The companies
in the IPD programme offer a wide
range of varieties named after the
different regions of origin. Besides
Kafa, the Djimma region is a well-
42 food Marketing & Technology • August 2023