Ethiopia and the Netherlands have worked together on the commercial development of the Ethiopian horticultural sector since 2006/2007. In 2012 the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Addis Ababa formulated a 3-year programme for the continued cooperation with the Ethiopian public and private sector partners in the horticulture sector.

The focus of the smallholder horticultural development component will be on the inclusive and sustainable growth of the fruit and vegetable sub-sectors in Ethiopia, through:

(a) facilitating the establishment of new high value horticulture supply chains aimed at exports and regional high-end consumer markets; and

(b) inclusion of smallholder growers in these high value supply chain arrangements.