Today’s global political landscape does not clearly favour the old rules, nor does it seem committed to building a new, stable world order. Instead, it increasingly reflects a diffuse, often chaotic tilt — where long‑standing principles like those embodied in the UN Security Council and other global rulebooks are eroding in practice, even if they remain in place in theory.

The world today feels overwhelming: multiple active conflicts, civil wars, and intensifying geopolitical rivalries dominate the headlines at the same time. There is Israel vs. Hamas in Gaza, the U.S.-Israel-Iran triangle, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Sudan conflict, tensions in Somalia and Pakistan, U.S.-Venezuela friction, and many others. This is not just a list of separate crises; it is a symptom of a deeper disorder.

The deeper challenge is that current global dynamics are shaped by power diffusion — a multipolar system where power is no longer concentrated in a single hegemon or bloc, but spread across competing states and blocs. In this system, trade, technology, and security evolve along mismatched, overlapping tracks, and ad‑hoc alliances often matter more than long‑standing norms or institutions.

Global trade is increasingly shaped outside the WTO framework, whether through new U.S. tariffs, regional trade tussles, or bilateral deals driven by the U.S. and China. At the same time, the “Eastern” model — led by China and Russia and increasingly by the BRICS group — pushes economic relations through bilateral and plurilateral deals, new development finance, and infrastructure corridors, often bypassing traditional Western‑led institutions and their rules.

The conflicts themselves vary widely: by duration, by cause, and by geography. Some are long‑standing “grinds” over land, resources, or identity; others are sudden escalations driven by strategic miscalculation or power vacuums. What they share is that no single global order imposes clear constraints; instead, the absence of hierarchy only amplifies unpredictability.

No area shows this fragmentation more clearly than technology. The world’s two dominant tech ecosystems — the Western bloc (led by the U.S.) and the Sino‑Russian bloc — are developing under different rules and values. The U.S. and its allies emphasize market‑driven innovation bounded by liberal‑democratic norms. China and Russia, in turn, pursue state‑coordinated strategies, embedding socialist core values and “civilizational defence” into their tech development.

Emerging economies, including Ethiopia and many African and Global South countries, are carving out their own paths, blending elements of East and West to create new models of political and economic relations. The result is a value‑based fragmentation of technology: incompatible systems, competing standards, and parallel infrastructures (like the U.S.-led Artemis and the China‑Russia ILRS in lunar exploration) that limit access to each other’s tools and slow down overall scientific progress.

This fragmentation duplicates effort, limits cross‑pollination of ideas, and makes it harder to build truly global standards, especially in sensitive areas like artificial intelligence and cyber norms. AI systems are increasingly coded to reflect specific political values, which makes interoperability and mutual trust far more difficult.

In this diffuse landscape, traditional alliances are under strain. The old idea of a fixed “bloc” — NATO, the EU, BRICS — is giving way to a “multi‑speed” order where partners constantly recalibrate based on immediate interests, not just ideology. Survival and economic self‑interest often trump long‑term commitments.

The European Union, a traditional partner of the U.S., finds itself caught between Washington and Beijing. European countries, including Germany, continue to sell advanced machinery and tech to China while pushing their own “technological sovereignty” through regulations like the EU AI Act. This is not hypocrisy, but pragmatism: protecting economic interests while asserting distinct political values.

At the same time, the U.S. has deepened rifts by imposing tariffs even on close allies (like Denmark and the UK), revealing that economic security concerns can override traditional alliance unity. The U.S. interest in Greenland, presented as a matter of “hemispheric defence” in the Arctic, is seen in Europe as a redline over sovereignty, potentially pushing core allies toward alternative alignments.

These moves reflect a broader trend: the erosion of trust is no longer limited to trade disputes, but extends to core questions of sovereignty and security. Old alliances are not collapsing, but they are becoming more transactional and conditional.

One of the most concrete examples of this power shift is the global energy transition, particularly in transportation. The rise of electric vehicles (EVs) is not just a climate story; it is a geopolitical and economic one.

EVs significantly reduce dependence on oil by replacing internal combustion engines with electric drivetrains, which are far more energy‑efficient. This shift cuts tailpipe emissions, improves urban air quality, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions — especially as electricity grids rely more on renewables.

For many developing economies, including Ethiopia, this is transformative. Countries that spend billions importing oil can now leverage their own cheap, renewable energy (like hydropower) to power transport instead. This lowers import bills, eases foreign‑exchange pressure, and turns energy vulnerability into a form of self‑reliance.

Ethiopia exemplifies this shift. The country has enacted a world‑first ban on importing fossil‑fuel vehicles (from January 2024) and aims to have 500,000 EVs on the road by 2030, up from about 115,000 today. This is driven by the urgent need to reduce a massive fuel import bill while building energy sovereignty.

However, success depends on real infrastructure: thousands of charging stations nationwide, not just in Addis Ababa. Today, with only about 100 public chargers (mostly in the capital), long‑distance EV travel is nearly impossible. The government’s commitment is commendable, but the policy will need large-scale, equitable investment in charging networks and supportive regulations to truly reach the broader population.

The current trajectory is clear: a more fragmented world, where power is diffuse and global systems are split not only in supply chains but also in foundational standards and values. Technology is both a driver of change and a new arena of competition, reinforcing parallel, incompatible systems.

In this landscape, norms like the UN Security Council and WTO are increasingly sidelined in favour of pragmatic, ad‑hoc alignments. The old idea of a single global order, top‑down and rule‑based, is fading — replaced by a complex, multi‑speed reality where states, blocs, and even cities navigate their own paths.

This is the new world, whether we like it or not. The challenge for policymakers, businesses, and societies is not to wish for a return to a mythical past order, but to build resilience, agility, and cooperation within this fragmented, multipolar system.

In recent years, the floral industry has been caught in a whirlwind of rapidly changing global and local regulations, making it difficult for service providers to keep up. As technology evolves, the business landscape becomes increasingly challenging. This raises an important question: how can the floriculture sector not only survive but thrive amidst these formidable obstacles?

Last week, I encountered news highlighting the urgent need for flower exporters to adopt more responsible chemical application practices than ever before. The latest advisory report from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, published on January 21, 2026, marks a crucial turning point for the global cut-flower industry and its supply chain. This is particularly significant for leading non-European Union flower producers and exporters, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Ecuador, and Colombia. Based on extensive sampling of imported roses from the past two seasons, the report reveals that residue levels exceed the safety thresholds established by regulatory agencies. The irresponsible use of chemicals and their residues poses significant occupational health risks to florists, auction personnel, and inspectors who routinely handle these flowers.

Moreover, the report highlights environmental concerns, particularly the risk of contaminating soil ecosystems, which can harm beneficial organisms such as bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and bees. These disruptions compromise essential processes, including pollination, nutrient cycling, and soil fertility, especially when floral waste is integrated into organic waste streams or composting operations.

The root of the issue lies in the intensive treatments and chemicals used in exporting countries to meet stringent European Union phytosanitary requirements—a process not directly supervised by Dutch authorities due to international law.Under the International Plant Protection Convention, it is the responsibility of the exporting country to inspect and certify that goods meet the import requirements of the destination country. In Ethiopia, the newly established Ethiopian Agricultural Authority is tasked with scrutinizing and confirming that exportable flowers meet the import requirements of the Netherlands and European Union member countries. At this stage, I cannot definitively assess the Authority’s capacityto thoroughly examine chemical residue levels in flower productsand certify compliance with the current standards of the destination market.

In response, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority recommends a range of forward-thinking measures: establishing regulatory residue limits for non-EU imports, enacting interim worker protections, initiating consumer awareness campaigns, improving waste management protocols, strengthening border surveillance, expanding research to include other ornamentals and edible flowers, and promoting voluntary supply-chain initiatives that exceed minimum legal standards.

I assert that the true significance of Ethiopia’s horticulture industry lies not only in its impressive revenue of over $500 million but also in its role as a critical lifeline for thousands of families. The approximately 84 active farms represent more than just businesses; they are centers of opportunity and employment, making this sector the most vital engine for job creation and foreign exchange in the country today. With 16 years of experience in Ethiopia’s floriculture landscape, I view this report not merely as a warning, but as an electrifying catalyst—an invitation to strive for unparalleled excellence. Ethiopian growers have successfully navigated Europe’s rigorous demands, mastering phytosanitary compliance, quality benchmarks, and sustainability certifications with remarkable agility. The findings of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority align with the EU’s accelerated push toward harmonized safeguards, now extending scrutiny to pesticide residues in non-food ornamentals, despite the current lack of binding maximum residue levels (MRLs) for roses and summer flowers.

Admittedly, the path forward intensifies competition: increased sampling, shipment-by-shipment residue testing, and potentially lower maximum residue levels could raise rejection risks, compliance costs, and market disadvantages for operations lacking sophisticated residue management systems. Short-term pressures may necessitate a swift transition to biological controls, organic alternatives, and low-toxicity integrated pest management (IPM), with non-compliant shipments facing destruction, rapid alerts, or outright import bans.

Herein lies an exhilarating opportunity for Ethiopian floriculture. Since 2019, growers have reduced the use of the most environmentally harmful products by an impressive 56%. This achievement is driven by strategic investments in integrated pest management (IPM), biological agents, digital training platforms for occupational health and environmental stewardship, and collaborative efforts to combat pests like the False Codling Moth. Instead of viewing regulation as a constraint, proactive alignment with food-crop-equivalent residue thresholds positions Ethiopian roses as exemplars of purity and sustainability. This differentiation attracts premium buyers, strengthens partnerships, mitigates reputational risks, and ensures lasting access to the EU market.

The sector’s dynamism amplifies these stakes. Evolving EU standards reflect a growing consumer demand for ethical and eco-friendly products. At the same time, climate change introduces significant challenges—rising temperatures, erratic precipitation, prolonged droughts, and water scarcity—that threaten high-altitude rose cultivation, which relies on stable conditions. While Ethiopia’s diverse agro-ecology provides resilience, the increasing stressors require adaptive innovation: robust residue-monitoring protocols, comprehensive traceability, accelerated climate-smart practices, and diversified horticultural portfolios to mitigate risks associated with reliance on a single product.

Despite its significance, some critics argue that in an era of rising trade protectionism and stringent marketing standards, diversifying horticultural export products is essential for building sustainable, competitive, and resilient marketing systems. They caution that relying solely on flower exports could leave Ethiopia vulnerable to sudden import bans or stricter maximum chemical residue levels. Diversifying exportable products allows for easier trade redirection if one product is rejected, thereby minimizing overall economic impact. As global requirements such as food safety, maximum residue levels, and environmental standards become increasingly stringent, diversifying agricultural exports is critical for Ethiopia. Stricter sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures in international markets mean that diversification helps exporters spread risks, access new markets with different standards, and enhance value.

Diversification is a crucial necessity. Over-reliance on cut flowers exposes the sector to sudden import restrictions or tighter MRLs amid increasing global trade protectionism and SPS scrutiny. Expanding the export basket to include fruits, vegetables, and other ornamentals spreads risk, accesses markets with varying standards, and strengthens value chains for greater resilience and economic impact.

In conclusion, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority report serves not only as a cautionary signal but also as an exciting call to redefine excellence. Through coordinated action—government support in technical assistance and funding via the Ministry of Agriculture, deepening international alliances with Dutch auctions, breeders, and certifiers, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability as a core competitive advantage—Ethiopian floriculture can turn regulatory evolution from a perceived obstacle into a powerful catalyst for innovation, quality, and prosperity.

Global regulatory tightening is not a barrier; it is a crucible that refines superior standards, enhances market positioning, and secures long-term success in a discerning marketplace. Ethiopia’s floral renaissance has already demonstrated its strength—embracing these standards proactively will elevate it to even greater heights, delivering lasting benefits for farms, workers, communities, and the nation.

Mekonnen Solomon is Former Director of Horticultural Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and can be reached at ehdaplan@gmail.com