Ripple effect in nutrition and food safety: Empowering Peers at Horticultural Farms

The Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) has conducted Training of Trainers (TOT) on Basic Nutrition Skills and Food Safety, aimed at equipping peer educators with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to cascade nutrition education and food safety practices to their fellow employees at the workplace.

In line with Workforce Nutrition Education initiative, the three-day Training program was conducted on 28-30 October 2026. It was attended by 115 selected peer educators, representing various departments across 10 horticulture farms in four clusters.

Through this peer educator approach, the initiative has been designed to promote healthier eating habits, improve food safety awareness, and encourage a healthier and safer working environment across participating horticulture farms.

The Training focused on balanced nutrition, nutrition budgeting, healthy food choices, and the use of locally available and affordable nutritious foods.

The Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA), in collaboration with the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), has successfully conducted an Advanced Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Training to reinforce workplace safety at horticultural farms.

With the objective of strengthening workplace safety systems, improve employee well-being, and promote a proactive safety culture across Ethiopia’s horticulture sector, the training brought together EHPEA trainers, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Officers, Human Resources (HR) Managers, and Compliance Managers from EHPEA member farms.

The training featured Norwegian and Ghanaian experiences in occupational safety and health management, highlighting practical approaches to building strong safety cultures, enhancing management commitment, improving worker participation, and implementing effective risk prevention measures.

It has covered a range of topics including OSH management systems, safety leadership, safety culture development, occupational health monitoring, incident reporting and investigation, hierarchy of control measures, women’s health and well-being, and continuous improvement practices.

Convened with interactive sessions on 27–28 October 2026 at Mado Hotel in Addis Ababa, the Training facilitated a vital venue for participants to exchange experiences and identify practical actions for strengthening safety performance within their respective organizations.

EHPEA seized the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to continue supporting member farms in creating safer and healthier workplaces, emphasizing that learning from international best practices is essential for advancing occupational safety and health standards throughout the horticulture sector.

The event forms part of the ongoing partnership between EHPEA and NHO to promote decent work, strengthen social dialogue, and enhance occupational safety and health performance across Ethiopia’s horticulture value chain.

EHPEA commends all participants, facilitators, and partner organizations for their active engagement and commitment to fostering a strong safety culture and improving the well-being of workers throughout the industry.