The Fruits and Vegetable Value Chain in Ethiopia: Transformation, Prices, and Implications for Consumption and Nutrition

Co-Organized by the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN), the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)’s Ethiopia Strategy Support Program (ESSP)

What are the trends in price variations of fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia? And what are the implications on people’s diets? What is the current situation in Ethiopia as it relates to emerging medium‑scale tenant farming and the COVID‑19 disruption?

These questions are cardinal given the importance of prices for consumption decisions for important nutritious crops.

This webinar will look at findings from large-scale retail and producer price datasets, and price behavior of fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia over the last 15 years (2005 - 2019). The analysis notes that prices for fruits and vegetables are rapidly increasing compared to cereals and are more expensive than 15 years ago. Price rises are due to increased marketing margins and significant seasonality in vegetable prices. In addition, there is significant spatial price variation in the country. Secondly, the webinar will look at the rapid expansion of intensive vegetable cultivation in the central Rift Valley in Ethiopia. Almost 60% of the irrigated area is cultivated by medium-scale tenant farmers relying on short-term rental contracts. These gig economies, characterized by flexible contract arrangements implemented by outside contractors and which are fueling sophisticated sectors in developed countries, are also important in commercial agrarian settings in Ethiopia. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant disruptions of this model, which the webinar will explore.

The audience will, as usual, have an opportunity to interact with the speakers during a Q&A session. We look forward to your participation!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/95429343773?pwd=SnBPak5ESXZva0pBNkN1MDdVeUJmdz09

Meeting ID: 954 2934 3773

Passcode: 568639

*Please note this event may be recorded*

Photo credit: ILRI