Ethiopia: training the trainers to strengthen the horticultural sector

In brief

• A Training of Trainers (ToT) on business management was delivered under the MAHEBER programme, bringing together service providers in Ethiopia’s horticulture and agri-food industries.
• The aim: strengthening capacities in business management, advisory services and training delivery, to support more competitive, resilient and sustainable horticultural value chains.
• A two-phase journey: self-paced online learning, then a 5-day face-to-face course in Addis Ababa (11-15 May 2026).
• Content covered: business diagnostics, designing context-specific training, adult learning methods, and coaching agri-food companies.
• Deep dives: financial management, access to finance, human resource management, marketing and communication.

A Training of Trainers under the MAHEBER programme

Under the MAHEBER programme, a Training of Trainers (ToT) on business management brought together service providers from Ethiopia’s horticulture and agri-food industries. The aim was to strengthen their skills in business management, advisory services and training delivery, in order to support more competitive, resilient and sustainable horticultural value chains. By training those who in turn train and advise companies, the intervention seeks a multiplier effect across the wider sector.

A two-phase journey

The course combined two stages. The first, self-paced and online, drew on COLEAD’s e-learning platform. The second was a five-day face-to-face course held in Addis Ababa from 11 to 15 May 2026 for selected participants. The in-person sessions combined lectures, practical exercises and role play to encourage hands-on, directly applicable learning.

Practical competencies

By the end of the course, participants were able to conduct business diagnostics in agri-food companies, design context-specific training programmes for agri-food value chains, facilitate participatory trainings using adult learning methodologies, and advise and coach agri-food companies on effective business management. Dedicated deep dives covered financial management, access to finance, human resource management, marketing and communication.

This activity is implemented by COLEAD and supported by the MAHEBER Program (Mobilizing Actors in Horticulture for Entrepreneurship and Boosting Ethiopian Resilience), funded by the European Union through the EU Delegation in Ethiopia. This communication has been produced with the financial support of the EU. Its contents are the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the EU.