The 7th edition of agrofood & plastprintpack and the inaugural Ethiopia food show and Ethiopica coffee show got off to a flying start.

Thanks to the presence of high-level government officials from Ethiopia and around the world and a diverse array of 158 exhibitors from 16 nations, Day 1 saw a record number of visitors. 

“Today we commemorate the beginning of a new chapter, a chapter that integrates agriculture, food processing, packaging and plastics, opening up limitless possibilities for our people and our economy”, outlined the State Minister of Industry, H.E. Mr Hassan Mohammed, before declaring the event open.

• Agriculture is the backbone of Ethiopia's economy and continues to contribute 33% of GDP, provide 66% of employment and generate 76% of the country's annual exports. Over the past five years, agriculture has grown at an annual rate of 9%, reaching a value of US$36 billion. (ATA Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency)
• With annual investments in food and beverage processing and packaging technology ranging from €64 million to €171 million in recent years, Ethiopia is one of East Africa's largest importers of such technology.  
• With a population of 130 million, expected to grow to 200 million by 2050 according to the World Bank, Ethiopia has long been the largest food market in East and Central Africa. Spending in the F&B sector is growing steadily, and F&B production is by far the largest segment of the Ethiopian manufacturing industry. Accordingly, the demand for food and beverage ingredients continues to grow. 
• Despite heavy investment in local food production, Ethiopia remains one of Africa's largest food importers. Between 2018 and 2021, food imports will amount to between $1.8 billion and $3.3 billion annually, while food exports will amount to between $1.9 billion and $2.5 billion over the same period.