Strengthening Local Food Systems: Co-Creating the Future of Addis Ababa’s Farmers’ Markets

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) recently conducted an impactful and collaborative workshop  on May 27, 2026, in Addis Ababa, focusing on the “Living Lab on Secondary Agricultural Market Centers (Farmers’ Markets) of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. the workshop has  co-organized with Mediterranian Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM) CISC – Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa, the initiative  was supported by the “Strategic Assistance to the Resilient Local Food Supply Chains Alliance” – Re.FOOD Project.

The workshop brought together representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, Ethiopian Cooperatives Commission, research institutions, development institutions, ATI, Addis Ababa Bureau of Trade, cooperatives, farmers, and businesses.

Using the Living Lab approach — with participatory methods including Backcasting and Brainwriting — participants moved beyond discussion into co-creation: envisioning a shared future for Addis Ababa’s market centers, mapping current challenges, and generating prioritized solutions for action.

The workshop produced a shared vision and a set of prioritized solutions that will form the foundation of a Local Action Plan for strengthening Addis Ababa’s farmers’ market system.