Sheraton Addis Hotel
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
As in many developing countries around the world, Ethiopia is faced with the challenge of generating employment for a rapidly-growing and youthful population, especially in rural areas. A recent report by the World Bank Group’s Independent Evaluation Group points to increasing evidence that the rural non-farm economy is critical to sustainable and inclusive job creation, income diversification, and increased resilience. Though the rural non-farm economy in Ethiopia remains small in regional comparison, recent studies highlight the importance of this sector for job creation and rural transformation going forward, particularly in light of demographic trends and urbanization.
The World Bank Group, together with the Government of Ethiopia, has organized this forum to share global expertise with policymakers and practitioners engaged in rural job creation in Ethiopia and throughout the region.
The workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to:
- Gain insights on what works to grow the rural non-farm economy from the World Bank Group’s experience.
- Learn lessons from leading experts on successful structural transformations globally.
- Discuss private sector opportunities for job creation in the rural non-farm economy.
- Hear from key ministries within the Government of Ethiopia about their rural job creation strategy and other related initiatives.
SCHEDULE
8:00 am – 9:00 am |
BREAKFAST |
9:00 am – 9:30 am |
WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
- Carolyn Turk, Country Director, World Bank Ethiopia
- H.E. Tesfaye Mengiste, State Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources, The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
|
9:30 am – 9:50 am |
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Growing the Non-Farm Economy to Alleviate Poverty
- Lauren Kelly, Senior Evaluation Officer, IEG, World Bank Group
|
9:50 am – 10:10 am |
Setting the Stage: Presentation
Rural Employment in Ethiopia: Trends, Prospects and Policies for More/Better Employment
- Tom Bundervoet, Senior Economist, Poverty and Equity Global Practice, World Bank
|
10:10 am – 10:30 am |
Q&A Discussion |
10:30 am – 10:45 am |
COFFEE BREAK |
10:45 am – 12:00 pm |
PANEL: Insights from Across the Globe
This interactive, moderated session will share insights from effective policies and programs in East and South Asia, and elsewhere to draw lessons for the Ethiopian context.
- Madhur Gautam, Lead Economist, World Bank
- Parmesh Shah, Lead Rural Development Specialist, World Bank
- Dewen Wang, Senior Social Protection Economist, World Bank
|
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm |
Q&A Discussion |
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm |
NETWORKING LUNCH |
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm |
PANEL: Agriculture and Structural Transformation
During this session, panelists will describe their ongoing work programs in Ethiopia and share their goals for structurally transforming the rural sector.
Moderator: Vikas Choudhary, Senior Agricultural Specialist, World Bank
- Khalid Bomba, CEO, Ethiopian ATA
- Bart Minten, Sr. Research Fellow, IFPRI Addis Ababa
- Stephen Morin, Chief, Office of Economic Growth and Transformation, USAID
- Prof. Tegegne Gebre-Egziabher, Addis Ababa University [invited]
|
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm |
COFFEE BREAK |
3:15 pm – 4:45 pm |
PANEL: Private Sector Opportunities in the Rural Economy
Bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and other private stakeholders, this session will highlight success stories and opportunities from across Ethiopia.
Moderator: Gelila Woodeneh, Communications Officer, World Bank
- Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin, Founder & CEO, BlueMoon
- H.E. Melaku Alebel, Minister, Ministry of Trade
- Alan Johnson, Lead Value Chain Specialist, IFC
- Ulric Daniel, Managing Director, Ethio-Chicken
|
4:45 pm – 5:00 pm |
SUMMARY REMARKS
- Fisseha Aberra, Director, Financial Institutions Cooperation, Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation, The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
|