By REBECCA MUSHOTA in Addis Ababa –
THE Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation says Zambia’s decision to promote agriculture cooperatives will significantly help reduce poverty levels in the country.
The Foundation’s country representative for Ethiopia Haddis Tadesse said Zambia’s approach to develop agriculture cooperatives would have a huge impact on poverty reduction.
President Edgar Lungu has placed emphasis on vibrant cooperatives and recently moved the department of cooperatives from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Commerce to enhance efficiency.
Mr Tadesse said the same approach had been used by the Ethiopian government for 10 years now and the agriculture sector had recorded an annual growth of 9.4 per cent.
“Smallholder farmers can drive economic growth and have an immediate impact on poverty reduction. In Ethiopia, it has driven economic growth,” Mr Tadesse said.
He said cooperatives gave small-scale farmers bargaining power when dealing with clients because they acted in unison.
Cooperatives offered business opportunities in marketing to small-scale farmers which promote empowerment.
Mr Tadesse noted that it was difficult for individual small-scale farmers to thrive in agriculture adding that cooperatives played an important role especially for women in reducing poverty.
He was speaking at the sidelines of the Ethiopia Partners Forum and the official launch of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation office in Ethiopia.
The Foundation’s president, global policy, advocacy and programmes Mark Suzman said the climate favoured Zambia in its quest to improve agriculture development.
Mr Suzman said there were real business opportunities in crop production and livestock rearing.
On the launch of the office, Mr Suzman said Ethiopia had achieved most of its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Foundation would continue supporting the Ethiopian government in improving people’s lives.
The foundation would over the next six years provide US $776 million for developmental programmes.
Ethiopian First Lady Roman Tesfaye said she was grateful that the Foundation had made significant investments in the health and agriculture sectors.
More than 60 experts from the Foundation were in Addis Ababa for the forum and some journalists from Africa were invited for site tours in the agriculture and health sectors.