Stronger, sustainable meat supply chains for Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a developing country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second most populous country of Africa, Nigeria is the biggest. Ethiopia has more than 100 million inhabitants and that number is growing very fast. Almost 45% has the age of 0-14 years and 20% is in the age of 15-24 years.

The economic situation is gradually improving, but the labour market perspectives for all these young women and men are not good. Many young people leave the country as a refugee and hope to find a better life in Europe.

Ethiopia is an agricultural country with a number of cattle, sheep, goat and camel. Many of these are exported as livestock or meat to predominantly Arabic countries.

The income situation is for most of the inhabitants bad. Although Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing economy in the region, it is also one of the poorest, with a per capita income of $660. Ethiopia’s government nonetheless wants the country to reach lower-middle-income status by 2025.

SME has the ambition to support the development of the meat area in Ethiopia. SME wants to strengthen the creation of supply chains for meat. This means to help to improve the conditions for supply chains from production of fodder, to fattening livestock and improve the slaughter and meat processing. In that way SME contributes to more food and more food security. A system of integral quality care and monitoring is an important part of the support. The customer and the retail sector must be assured of good quality meat, which is produced under reliable hygienic conditions.

The supported supply chains are stimulated to produce within the framework of sustainability and corporate social responsibility.