inclusive entrepreneurship
in Ethiopia

Mathieu Barendse got on a plane to East Africa some 20 years ago. "My brother Alexander and I grow Freesias in 's-Gravenzande," Mathieu explains. "We were looking for an additional place to grow freesias. Because of the climate, we thought of Ethiopia or Kenya. So I decided to get on a plane. I had no plan, just four phone numbers."

In Ethiopia, he ran into Ronald Vijverberg. The pair immediately clicked. In 2007, they set up Samore Flower Farm. Samrawit Moges is the Ethiopian partner. The farm is located 20 kilometres above the capital Addis Ababa, at an altitude of 2,700 metres. "Logistically this is a fantastic destination, also because of the direct flights to the Netherlands and Belgium. The only problem was that it turned out to be difficult to grown Freesias there.  We then switched to Statice and Alstroemeria, says Mathieu.  

Opportunities for women

In addition to the product range, 'Social responsibility' has an important place in Samore Flower Farm's operations, as it does in many other companies in Africa. The grower is committed to the local community, with Samore building a school for young local children. There is also plenty of investment in local infrastructure and the farm's neighbours are provided with water and electricity.

In addition, Samore creates employment opportunities for both men and women. Of the 450 employees, 280 are women. Mathieu: "That is mainly because of our associate Samrawit. She is an Ethiopian-American woman who is making tremendous efforts to empower women. The division of roles in Ethiopia is often still traditional, with women being highly dependent on men. Through their work for us, women are more financially independent and undergo personal development. ”

A small proportion of employees are deaf or hard of hearing. "In Ethiopia, there is no social security system. People with disabilities often end up on the streets. We like to give these people a chance, as deep down we believe that inclusivity is incredibly important. In doing so, we are also showing that social engagement and commercial success can go hand in hand."

Mathieu continues: "Local entrepreneurship is the best way to create development cooperation. This allows people to work on their own future, which is much more sustainable. I am a down-to-earth person from the Westland, but I am seriously proud of everything we have achieved in Ethiopia. Every quarter, when I am there, I see what this work does to people and it really touches me."

Unwarranted prejudices

Occasionally there is criticism of African farms, which are said to treat employees badly. "There are many prejudices and oversimplified opinions. This bothers me a lot," Mathieu said, suddenly appearing much brighter than earlier in the conversation. "In the Netherlands there is often the feeling that in Africa, anything goes; you can use infinite amounts of plant protection chemical and you can treat people badly and underpay them. This is utter nonsense! We also have to meet all kinds of legal requirements and have several certificates. In fact, I dare say the rules in Ethiopia are even more strictly enforced than in the Netherlands. We take good care of our people. They are happy with us, with the work they do and with  the pay they receive. I hope people who like to complain about African farms without a second thought will look at this phenomenon differently because of this story."

Samore Flower Farm is a full member of Royal FloraHolland. Mathieu: "We use all the facilities, including Floriday. Flowers from Ethiopia arrive at Dock Service in Aalsmeer four to five times a week, after which they are brought to our facility in 's-Gravenzande. Here we process everything for our customers, mainly wholesalers and retailers. Half our time is spent in Barendse Freesia, the other half in Samore Flower Farm. I think it is only logical that we are members of Royal FloraHolland with both companies. Together, we need to form a strong cooperative, especially with African growers, which we all benefit from."

‍