Ayuda en Acción launches INN-MORE project to strengthen livelihoods, resilience of vulnerable communities

Addis Ababa, March 21, 2025 (FMC) – Ayuda en Acción has launched the INN-MORE – Innovation in the Development of the Moringa Market System project in Addis Ababa, aiming to enhance Ethiopia’s moringa value chain, boost market access, and improve food security.

The launch event was held earlier today in Addis Ababa in the presence of senior government officials, private sector representatives, stakeholders, academia, and diplomats.

The project is a 2-year initiative (February 1, 2025 – January 31, 2026) implemented by Ayuda en Acción Ethiopia (AeAE) in partnership with the South Ethiopia Regional Government, international institutions (University of Madrid Poley Technique, Arbaminch University, and Qoumer), and local communities.

Funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (ACIDE), the project aims to improve the livelihoods and resilience of vulnerable communities in the Wolaita and Gamo zones by strengthening the Moringa value chain.

Mr. Abera Mulat, Adviser to Natural Science State Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized Ethiopia’s commitment to agricultural transformation under its 10-Year Perspective Plan.

He noted the success of the pilot project, implemented since 2016 in Wolaita and Gamo zones, which has supported smallholder farmers in seed production, nursery management, edible oil extraction, and capacity building.

He asserted the government’s backing to the project’s expansion.

Mr. Ermias Tadesse, Program Director at Ayuda en Acción, highlighted that moringa is a drought-tolerant, highly nutritious crop, widely used in southern Ethiopia, particularly in Wolaita, Gamo, Derashe, and Konso, where close to five million people rely on it as a staple or co-staple food. Despite its potential, he noted challenges in production, market access, and value addition.

The project aims to increase productivity, modernize farming practices, introduce processing technologies for moringa oil and powder, and strengthen cooperative networks to improve market opportunities.

Mr. Mario Fanjul Benitez, Head of Cooperation at the Spanish Cooperation Office, said the initiative aligns with Ethiopia’s agricultural policies and Spain’s broader development partnership.

Mr. Benitez also mentioned that Ethiopia and Spain are cooperating in multifaced domains over the years.

According to him, the INN-MORE initiative is an opportunity to help Ayuda en Accion and other stakeholders to promote sustainable development in the country.

“Ethiopia is a country full of potentialities in terms of  rural development. It’s because of that that Moringa is a very valuable value chain that we can use from the leaf to the oil in several stages. So with this project we will be able to support this value chain and to promote a better future for our producers and for our society,” he said.

Mr. Mengistu Tefera of the Ethiopian Standards Institute stressed the need for regulatory protocols and quality standards to ensure the safety and competitiveness of Ethiopian moringa products in both local and international markets.

The INN-MORE project is expected to directly benefit 2,000 households—impacting 12,000 people—and support 2,300 cooperative members. It will also indirectly benefit six additional woredas beyond the three directly targeted.

It was indicated that the project also seeks to integrate moringa into national nutrition and food self-sufficiency programs such as YeLemat Trufat (Bounty of the Basket).

The initiative further aims to scale up moringa cultivation nationwide, beyond southern Ethiopia, with a focus on economic empowerment for women, market integration, and food security.