Fairtrade to launch 'agrofood plastpack Ethiopia'

Ethiopia has the largest economy in East and Central Africa and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, which prompted German trade fair specialists, fairtrade, to launch agrofood plastpack Ethiopia at the Millennium Hall on 4-6 October, 2016 in Addis Ababa.

“The idea to launch a professional platform especially for the Ethiopian business community was brought up by the exhibitors at our “agrofood & plastprintpack Nigeria 2015” in Lagos last April. Now we are excited to create this new major platform for our long-term customers,” says Martin März, fairtrade’s CEO. “After a fact-finding mission to Addis Ababa and fruitful meetings with partners from industry, trade and service we are convinced, that this new business platform arrives perfectly in time.”

With 150 million Euros in 2014 (VDMA) Ethiopia is East and Central Africa’s largest importer of food processing and packaging machinery. The annual growth rate of 38 percent between 2010 and 2014 testifies Ethiopia as a market of the future that is just about to unfold. For manufacturers of food and packaging Global players like Heineken, Nestlé, Unilever and others are entering the Ethiopian market and invest hundreds of million US $ in new food and beverage production facilities.

According to figures from the World Bank, the Ethiopian Agriculture accounts for about 48percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 85 percent of exports, making it the cornerstone of the economy and the largest potential source of growth and prosperity. The Ethiopian agriculture has increased in the years 2011 to 2014 by 4.9 percent until 9.0 percent annually.

Ethiopia is East and Central Africa’s hub for the food trade. During the past years Ethiopian food imports have increased with an annual rate of 15 percent, from 0.866 billion US $ in 2009 to 1.797 billion US $ in 2014. Food exports even increased by 20 percent annually, to now more than 2.9 billion US$.

It is also the 2nd largest importer of plastics and packaging machinery with an annual growth rate of 23 percent and 27 percent, between 2010 and 2014. Ethiopia is the largest importer of plastics in primary forms with a phenomenal annual growth rate of 46 percent between 2010 and 2014, reaching 527 million Euros in 2014.

To learn more visit www.agrofood-plastpack.com.

For more information:
Dominik Rzepka
fairtrade GmbH & Co. KG
Tel: +49 / 62 21 / 45 65 22
Fax: +49 / 62 21 / 45 65 25
Email: d.rzepka@fairtrade-messe.de
www.fairtrade-messe.de