Welcome

"The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being." - Lech Walesa

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Bye, Bye Karuturistan, Ethiopia!

A post-mortem on Karuturistan, EthiopiaFebruary 22, 2015

by Alemayehu G. Mariam

RIP: A post-mortem on Karuturistan, Ethiopia

It was too good to be true. It is too bad it was true for the people of Gambella in western Ethiopia.
Last month, the ignoble demise of Karuturi  Global, Ltd.  (a/k/a “Ethiopian Meadows Plc.”, “Gambella Green Valley Plc (Ethiopia)”,  “Karuturi Agro Products Plc (Ethiopia)) in Ethiopia was announced  quietly and without fanfare.
Karuturi, an Indian agribusiness,  is touted to be “the world’s largest producer and exporter of cut roses with operations spread across Ethiopia, Kenya and India.” In 2008, Karuturi “leased” 300,000 hectares in the western Ethiopia region of Gambella.