Ethiopia, Italy sign €1.5 million grant agreement

Addis Ababa, April 28, 2022 (FBC) – An implementing agreement with the grant amounting to 1.5 million euros was signed today between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Italian Republic at a ceremony held at the Embassy of Italy in Addis Ababa, for the implementation of “Food Safety Project”.

The project is aimed improve the food safety status in Ethiopia by providing technical support in managing the food safety risks, which are arising from food adulteration and poor food hygienic practices in major agro-food processors, and food marketers, and catering services.

The major activities planned to be performed by the project, include, but are not limited to, establishing a national surveillance system on food adulteration and food hygiene practices surveillance system in Ethiopia, strengthening human and laboratory capacity on food safety, and empowering agro-processors, food marketers, and catering service providers, according to Ministry of Finace.

The project will be implemented in 25 major cities of the country, including Addis Ababa and regional capital cities, in which many agro-food processing and catering services are located and most food products, either raw or processed, are destined and where people obtain their food through purchasing only.

Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of the Ministry of Finance, and  Agostino PALESE, Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia signed the financing agreement on behalf of their countries.