[{"bbox": [97, 153, 1136, 259], "category": "Text", "text": "commercial farms, but a new Contract Farming Law is offering opportunities to increasingly engage smallholder farmers across the horticulture value chains, enhancing in-country transformation and thereby promoting added value. The Ten-Year Development Plan of the Government of Ethiopia aims to increase horticulture exports from 272,000 tons to over 1 million tons."}, {"bbox": [97, 270, 1136, 535], "category": "Text", "text": "Coffee is the leading export commodity in Ethiopia, generating significant foreign currency revenues for the country. As a consequence, the government has paid high attention to the sector, devoting efforts to improve income of farmers and to create jobs, while substantially increasing exports of high-quality (climate and eco-friendly) coffee. The entry into force of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in June 2023, sets mandatory due diligence rules for operators to demonstrate that the coffee they sell in the EU is deforestation-free. Due to the difficulties associated with the fragmented production by a plethora of smallholder farmers, Ethiopia is likely to be highly affected by this new Regulation. Currently, the country lacks the capacity to put in place a systematized traceability/tracking system throughout the value chain. In addition, a mapping of coffee farming plots/plantations does not exist and is hampered by the fact that the partition between coffee plantations and forested areas is often blurred."}, {"bbox": [97, 548, 1136, 682], "category": "Text", "text": "Regarding sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, following the entry into force of the European Union Regulations on plant health in December 2019, Ethiopia has shown willingness to prepare itself to respond effectively to these new requirements, but there are major gaps. The forthcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD) Directive will impose further due diligence requirements for the operators on environmental rules and human rights."}, {"bbox": [97, 694, 1136, 881], "category": "Text", "text": "The main commodities concerned regarding sanitary and phytosanitary standards are (cut-) flowers, herbs (basil), and mango for which quarantine pests are present in the country and for which multiple interceptions have been recorded in recent years due to a very challenging phytosanitary context. There are considerable gaps within the Ethiopian Food Safety System, which lacks a central organization in official controls, especially in the fields of phytosanitary and veterinary services, and food safety. The Ethiopian Agricultural Authority (EAA) was created in 2021 as the main body responsible to ensure the quality, safety and health of Ethiopian food products but as a newly created organisation it suffers from capacity gaps."}, {"bbox": [97, 892, 1136, 974], "category": "Text", "text": "Despite government policy commitments, limited attention has been paid to increase productivity in a sustainable way through low-carbon, climate-resilient and resource-efficient solutions, be those agro-ecological practices, circular practices in processing and manufacturing, or productive use appliances powered by renewable energy."}, {"bbox": [97, 984, 1136, 1277], "category": "Text", "text": "On another level, Ethiopia has ratified only 23 of the 190 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions. Some of the ratified Conventions have been domesticated and are enshrined in the country's Constitution and labour laws. However, the level of compliance and enforcement of the ratified Conventions and labour laws is low. The main deficiencies include occupational safety and health, child labour, gender-based violence at the workplace, excessive overtime, no right to leave and no right to organise and engage in collective bargaining. The low level of compliance and enforcement of the International Labour Standards (ILS) and labour laws can be attributed to several factors such as the weakness of the institutions responsible for social dialogue, the poor organisational capacity of the tripartite partners; high rates of unemployment and poverty; lack of knowledge and awareness of the ILS and national labour laws on the part of workers, employers and government institutions. The limited enforcement of the ILS and national labour laws is also attributed to the weak organisational capacity of employers' organizations and trade unions."}, {"bbox": [97, 1288, 1136, 1555], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action will aim at mitigating all the above issues by strengthening the compliance with international labour standards, the EU CSDD Directive (in both environmental and human rights components), the EU Deforestation Regulation (in particular focusing on the coffee value chain through digital solutions) and European Food Safety & Public Health standards. Environmental sensitivity, climate change adaptation/mitigation and biodiversity will be promoted and integrated in the action. Gender will be mainstreamed as well through the Gender Action Plan III. The targeting approach is to leave no one behind, with specific attention to female farmers/workers and female-headed households. In addition, the proposed action will have a special impact among the most vulnerable population (youth and women). By strengthening the compliance with the EU CSDD Directive, the Action will also target sustainable production and consumption through the agrifood system and its related value chains. By doing so, the Action will also tackle the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP)."}, {"bbox": [97, 1566, 1136, 1620], "category": "Text", "text": "This action is aligned with the National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) 2021-2030 strategy, the Regional Indicative Programme and with the AU Comprehensive Africa Development Programme (CAADP), with the"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 6 of 34"}]