Sher Ethiopia
Sher Ethiopia produces roses. The roses are grown in greenhouses that consist of a steel framework and a plastic cover. Approximately 12,500 employees grow, harvest, grade and pack roses at three farms. Between 2.5 and 4 million roses are processed and transported to the airport in Addis Ababa every day, from where the roses are flown by Ethiopian Airlines to Europe for further distribution. This makes us the largest rose grower in the world and the biggest rose supplier in Europe.
Ethiopia has excellent conditions for growing roses: fertile soil, a favourable climate, sufficient rainfall, and the right altitude. The horticultural sector is very important for the economy of Ethiopia. Sher Ethiopia is a major player and responsible for close to 4% of all foreign currency flowing into Ethiopia.
Some interesting facts:
- Over 1 billion carbon-neutral rose stems each year
- 4,800 km of drip lines in rose beds
- 3,921,500 m3 of rainwater collected each year
- Over 100,000 treatments in the Sher Hospital every year
- 6,500 children in Sher Schools; 50% belonging to our employees
- 240,000 hot meals served to our youngest students each year
- 6,462 m2 of wetlands for purifying waste water
- Sher Ethiopia is the biggest producer of Fairtrade roses in the world
- 116 people with a disability are included in our workforce
- We employ people from over 36 different districts in Ethiopia