In Ethiopia, tanning is an important economic activity. The country is home to the largest population of livestock in Africa and is the tenth largest livestock producer in the world in 2015. The livestock sector accounts for 16.5% of Ethiopia’s gross domestic product and is an important source of income for the rural population.
According to Ethiopian livestock sector statistics, close to 20% of livestock slaughter and hide processing is undertaken in modern abattoirs and slaughter slabs. The remaining 80% takes place in people’s backyards, under unsanitary conditions that cause considerable harm to the environment. To address this, the GTI project offers local tanneries technical support for cleaner, eco-friendly production, and improved labour conditions and business management and trade opportunities. The initiative also provides for the sharing of industry best practices with government institutions and other tanneries so that such practices can be scaled up.
