The PROSEAD initiative, short for Promotion of Sustainable Ethiopian Agro-Industrial Development, held its 16th quarterly review meeting in Addis Ababa on March 19, 2024, bringing together various stakeholders and development partners.
This multi-stakeholder dialogue aims to foster sustainable agricultural value chains by supporting and maintaining environmentally sound infrastructure development in the Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks (IAIP), Rural Transformation Centers (RTC), and other supply chain requirements and investments in the relevant catchment areas.
PROSEAD is geared towards accelerating investments and enhancing governmental capacities at both federal and regional levels. The initiative has benefited from a substantial investment of USD 352 million from partners like the European Union Delegation (EU), African Development Bank (AfDB), Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ). The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) serves as the development partner coordinator for the initiative and provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Industry.
During the meeting, key topics such as infrastructure development, market linkages for smallholder farmers, access to finance, skills development, food safety, governance, and coordination were discussed. Some highlights from the presentations include:
- IFAD described its PACT initiative as focused on empowering smallholder farmers with a fund of more than USD 150 million.
- The Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) reported positive outcomes in agricultural production.
- GIZ showcased progress in enhancing the skills of youth and women in agro-industrial areas.
The meeting also emphasized the need for coordination with additional stakeholders. This included representation, presentations, and commentary offered by:
- Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), which discussed investment initiatives.
- International Labour Organization (ILO), which presented approaches to enhanced employment and productivity in small agribusinesses.
- Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), which described the importance of supply and value chains, infrastructure, investment, and upstream distribution linkages.
- Tony Blair Institute (TBI), which described efforts to strengthen information flows for GOE accountability.
- KFW Development Bank, which described the importance of capital investment in Centers of Excellence and vocational strengthening and the complementary work they are doing with partners to enhance performance in the sector.
Ms. Mercedes Marin Nortes, Programme Officer for the European Union Green Deal Team, underlined the significance of strengthening value chains to retain current investors and attract new ones into the parks, and to create more employment and increase incomes for rural Ethiopians.
The collaboration between various stakeholders and their continuous efforts to strengthen the agro-industrial sector in Ethiopia showcase a commitment towards sustainable development and economic growth in the region.