Policymakers from the Ethiopian Prime Minister's Office held brainstorming meeting with experts from UNCTAD and other international bodies.
The meeting, held on 1 December and called Brainstorming on the Industrial Transformation Strategy of Ethiopia: The Case of Large Scale Commercial Agriculture and Agro-Processing, focused on strategies for structural transformation of Ethiopia, with particular emphasis on agro-processing industries.
Experts from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Labour Organization and academics, including representatives from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, also took part.
Participants discussed the various challenges faced by the agricultural sector in Ethiopia and the role that UNCTAD may play in supporting the local government to overcome these challenges. In particular, participants debated how to design a strategic trade integration strategy aimed at upgrading the production and export structure of the country and facilitating effective participation in global and regional value chains.
The role of innovation policies, importance of enhancing capabilities and learnings from success stories were also examined during the workshop.
Discussions between the Ethiopian government and representatives from UNCTAD's Division of Globalisation and Development Strategies and the Division of Africa and Least Developed Countries will continue in Addis Ababa in a follow-up meeting scheduled for 19 December, 2014.
