The Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA) held an Inception Workshop on “Business Climate Challenges in the Investment and Operation of Industrial Milk Processing Plants in Ethiopia” on March 6, 2026, at the EEA Conference Room in Addis Ababa.

The workshop marked the launch of a research project aimed at generating evidence on the key business climate constraints affecting investment and operations in Ethiopia’s industrial dairy processing sector. The study will be conducted in the coming months and is expected to provide insights to inform policy and support improvements in the dairy value chain.

In his opening remarks, Zelalem Atnaf, Research and Development Coordinator of the SNV BRIDGE+ Project, emphasized the importance of high-quality and reliable data for producing credible evidence that can effectively inform policy decisions and strengthen the enabling environment for dairy sector investments.

The event also featured welcoming remarks by Prof. Mengistu Ketema, Executive Director of the Ethiopian Economics Association. The workshop included presentations on the technical proposal of the study by Dr. Molla Alemayehu and on the research tools and key stakeholders by Mr. Binyam Kassa.

Participants from key institutions, including the Development Bank of Ethiopia, the Ministry of Agriculture (Ethiopia), the Ethiopian Dairy Sector Association, and development partners, engaged in discussions and provided valuable feedback to refine the research approach.

The workshop concluded with reflections on the next steps and the way forward, highlighting the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to generate robust evidence that can guide policy and investment in Ethiopia’s dairy processing industry.