The floriculture industry in Ethiopia began in the early 1980s when state-owned farms started producing and exporting flowers to Europe. The sector flourished in the early 2000s with large-scale exports of cut flowers. The post-2003 period is characterized by a high entry of foreign firms and spectacular growth in exports.
Currently, the flower sector has been demonstrating steady advancement over the years in its contribution to the national economy and has become the second-largest exportable item, next only to coffee in Ethiopia. The sector creates job opportunities for more than 60,000 people and generates 467 million USD in foreign currency annually.
Despite the immense contribution of the floriculture sector, quite a number of people do not feel good about the role of flowers in the Ethiopian economy and society since 2005. The claim began in 2005 when Ethiopia undertook its general election. During the election campaign, some opposition parties alleged the ruling party with disgusting arguments and claimed that flower investments harm our country's land and environment. These opposition parties viewed the entrance of many foreign flower-producing and exporting companies from neighboring African countries as a result of the negative role played by farms in their respective country settings. Some argue that flowers are not a national priority.
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