development (GoK 2002). Finally, the Strategic Plan (2008–2012) was a 5-year
strategic management plan promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture that catalysed
institutional, policy and civil service reforms. Particular emphasis was paid to
governance bottlenecks, food insecurity and volatile trade and financial regimes
that have large influence on national agricultural production (GoK 2008).
Ethiopia
Coffee is the main industrial crop and export revenue stream in Ethiopia, generating
approximately 25–30% of the national total export earnings (Moat et al. 2017).
Ethiopia is the leading coffee producer in SSA and the fifth largest producer
globally. In 2018, coffee production reached 7.1 million 60-kg bags (~426,000
metric tons), with exports forecasts at 3.98 million bags (~239,000 metric tons)
(USDA 2018). Coffee production is predominantly characterized by traditional farm
management systems, limited use of fertilizers/pesticides and manual cultivation
systems and drying methods (Tefera and Tefera 2014). The estimated area used for
coffee production (525,000 ha) (Tefera 2015) shrinks occasionally largely due to
increasing population, land use conflicts, extensive deforestation, expansion of other
industrial crops and other agricultural practices (Minten et al. 2017; Sisay 2018).
Sugarcane is another major industrial crop produced in the country. The sugarcane sector has undergone extensive transformation in the country, which has been
mostly driven by the government. Even though smallholder-based sugarcane production has been prevalent for centuries, its large-scale cultivation started in the early
1950s with the establishment of the Wonji Sugar Factory (Wendimu et al. 2016).
Subsequently the government pushed for the development of additional sugar plants
to meet the increasing domestic sugar demand. The Sugar Corporation of Ethiopia
currently administers six sugar factories (e.g. Wonji-Shoa, Metahara, Finchaa,
Tendaho, Arjo-dedessa, Kessem), and nine sugar development projects at Kuraz,
Tana Beles and Welkayit (Gashaw et al. 2018). Annual production has currently
reached approximately 100,000 ha of sugarcane, 400,000 tons of sugar and
25,000 m
3 of ethanol, with the new sugar factories expected to expand significantly
the production of sugar and other energy co-products through ethanol distilleries and
bagasse cogeneration facilities (Gashaw et al. 2018).
Economic growth and rural development have been the two major drivers fuelling
coffee expansion in the country. Conversely, energy security and economic growth
have been the main drivers for sugarcane production (Tefera 2015; Hailemariam
et al. 2019). Sugarcane ethanol production and bagasse co-generation are seen as
possible avenues to increase domestic energy security considering Ethiopia’s high
reliance on imported fossil fuels (Berhanu et al. 2017). Indeed, the Ethiopian
government has identified the sugar sector as a focal point in its efforts to become
a middle-income country by 2025.
The Ethiopian government has fully supported the production of industrial crops
through multiple relevant initiatives. In 1995, the Agricultural Development-Led
Industrialization programme (ADLI 1995–2005) sought to boost the performance of
100
M. P. Jarzebski et al.
strategic management plan promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture that catalysed
institutional, policy and civil service reforms. Particular emphasis was paid to
governance bottlenecks, food insecurity and volatile trade and financial regimes
that have large influence on national agricultural production (GoK 2008).
Ethiopia
Coffee is the main industrial crop and export revenue stream in Ethiopia, generating
approximately 25–30% of the national total export earnings (Moat et al. 2017).
Ethiopia is the leading coffee producer in SSA and the fifth largest producer
globally. In 2018, coffee production reached 7.1 million 60-kg bags (~426,000
metric tons), with exports forecasts at 3.98 million bags (~239,000 metric tons)
(USDA 2018). Coffee production is predominantly characterized by traditional farm
management systems, limited use of fertilizers/pesticides and manual cultivation
systems and drying methods (Tefera and Tefera 2014). The estimated area used for
coffee production (525,000 ha) (Tefera 2015) shrinks occasionally largely due to
increasing population, land use conflicts, extensive deforestation, expansion of other
industrial crops and other agricultural practices (Minten et al. 2017; Sisay 2018).
Sugarcane is another major industrial crop produced in the country. The sugarcane sector has undergone extensive transformation in the country, which has been
mostly driven by the government. Even though smallholder-based sugarcane production has been prevalent for centuries, its large-scale cultivation started in the early
1950s with the establishment of the Wonji Sugar Factory (Wendimu et al. 2016).
Subsequently the government pushed for the development of additional sugar plants
to meet the increasing domestic sugar demand. The Sugar Corporation of Ethiopia
currently administers six sugar factories (e.g. Wonji-Shoa, Metahara, Finchaa,
Tendaho, Arjo-dedessa, Kessem), and nine sugar development projects at Kuraz,
Tana Beles and Welkayit (Gashaw et al. 2018). Annual production has currently
reached approximately 100,000 ha of sugarcane, 400,000 tons of sugar and
25,000 m
3 of ethanol, with the new sugar factories expected to expand significantly
the production of sugar and other energy co-products through ethanol distilleries and
bagasse cogeneration facilities (Gashaw et al. 2018).
Economic growth and rural development have been the two major drivers fuelling
coffee expansion in the country. Conversely, energy security and economic growth
have been the main drivers for sugarcane production (Tefera 2015; Hailemariam
et al. 2019). Sugarcane ethanol production and bagasse co-generation are seen as
possible avenues to increase domestic energy security considering Ethiopia’s high
reliance on imported fossil fuels (Berhanu et al. 2017). Indeed, the Ethiopian
government has identified the sugar sector as a focal point in its efforts to become
a middle-income country by 2025.
The Ethiopian government has fully supported the production of industrial crops
through multiple relevant initiatives. In 1995, the Agricultural Development-Led
Industrialization programme (ADLI 1995–2005) sought to boost the performance of
100
M. P. Jarzebski et al.