On June 19, 2009 the Rector Magnificus of Wageningen University, prof dr Martin Kropff signed, on behalf of Wageningen UR, a Memorandum of Understanding for structural cooperation in agricultural research, education and capacity strengthening with five knowledge organizations in Ethiopia: the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research and the Universities of Addis Ababa, Haramaya, Hawassa, Jimma and Mekelle.
As a start, the collaboration programme will focus on 6 key areas for agricultural development in Ethiopia: (i) Horticulture sector development, (ii) Oilseeds, (iii) Integrated seed sector development, (iv) Natural resources development, (v) Soil fertility and agricultural productivity and (vi) Agricultural policy support. Involvement of Wageningen UR, at this stage, is through staff of the Social Sciences Group, the Plant Sciences Group, the Environmental Sciences Group and Van Hall Larenstein.
The Wageningen UR country focus on Ethiopia follows the recent prioritization of this country in the framework of the Wageningen UR Africa Strategy 2009-2013. Activities within the collaboration programme fit in the Ethiopian agricultural development framework (PASDEP), which is being supported through the joint Ethiopian Government-Donor Sectoral Working Group on Rural Economic Development and Food Security (RED-FS). Both, the Netherlands Ministries of Foreign Affairs/Development Cooperation and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality support activities under this MoU. Staff of the Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa –including the Agricultural Office- have been instrumental in developing the framework underlying the MoU.