ecbp is working in Amhara to strengthen local food entrepreneurs, in particular to improve innovation, food safety, packaging, labeling, and quality. The Taste of Amhara campaign has been active during the past 6 months carrying out public awareness activities and workshops on these topics and the campaign will culminate in a competition amongst local food entrepreneurs on Saturday October 25, 2008 in Bahir Dar.
Students from the Food Technology Department at the University of Bahir Dar along with local entrepreneurs took part in workshops throughout the campaign in order to become educated on the various topics that will be used to judge the products that they have created for the competition. These competitors have been given technical assistance during the campaign by ecbp interns and were given access to the Food Technology Laboratory at the University of Bahir Dar in order to improve their products.
The best three companies that meet the criteria mentioned above will be awarded prizes including start up money to launch their products into the market and additional technical assistance and training.
ecbp is an Ethiopian program established under the Ministry of Capacity Building with the support of the German government. It works towards creating employment opportunities for students through reform of University’s faculties of technology, TVET reform, improved infrastructure of Ethiopian products to be competitive in the world market and strengthening the private sector which ecbp considerers to be the engine of development.