The 7th Agrofood & PlastprintPck Trade Fair was held from June 19 to 21, 2025, at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa. Marking a milestone, this year’s event featured the inaugural Food Show and Coffee Show, drawing 156 leading exhibitors from 16 countries to present tailored products and innovative solutions for the local market.
The event, organized by Fairtrade Messe in partnership with local firm Prana Events, highlighted the host nation’s expanding role as the largest food market in East and Central Africa. According to the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), agriculture contributes 76% of the country’s annual exports and has maintained a robust 9% annual growth rate, reaching an estimated $36 billion in value.
With a population of approximately 130 million expected to grow to 200 million by 2050, demand for food and beverage products continues to rise steadily. The food and beverage sector accounts for the largest share of the country’s manufacturing industry, fueling increased demand for ingredients and processing technologies.
Trade data reveals that between 2021 and 2023, food imports ranged from $1.9 billion to $3.3 billion, while food exports reached $2.5 billion in 2023, underscoring growing integration into global food markets.
The plastics industry also featured prominently at the expo, reflecting rapid growth in plastic consumption—from 44 kilotons in 2007 to 281 kilotons in 2024, at an average annual growth rate of 11.5%. As the second-largest importer of plastic products in East and Central Africa, the country relies entirely on imports for its plastic raw materials, which increased from 43 kilotons in 2007 to 294 kilotons in 2024, growing 12% year-on-year.
Ethiopia leads the region in plastic technology investment, with imports valued at EUR 28 million in 2023—a 57% increase compared to 2022—demonstrating strong commitment to modernizing its plastics sector.
The 2025 Agrofood & PlastprintPck Expo brought together exhibitors from Austria, Brazil, China, Denmark, Djibouti, Germany, India, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The diverse participation underscored the event’s role as a pivotal platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and business development in the food and plastics industries.
