First Vegetable Seeds Grown at BASF's State-of-the-Art Production Facility in Ethiopia Enter Global Market

BASF's new facility produces first seeds Ethiopia's state-of-the-art production facility has entered the global vegetable seed market. Located in the Amhara region of the country, the facility provides year-round ideal production conditions for sweet peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. It is BASF's first high-tech greenhouse complex in Africa. Vicente Navarro, Senior Vice President responsible for BASF Vegetable Seeds Business, stated: "We invested approximately EUR 8 million in this new facility. It will provide us with extra supply security and flexibility to serve our customers worldwide. Sustainable food production is very important to us and we want to do our part. That is why we are proud of this new facility. With fully automated processes for climate control, including humidity, heating and irrigation, it makes us pioneers in establishing Ethiopia's first sustainable high-tech seed production facility" he said. The facility covers an area of 15 hectares: two hectares house state-of-the-art greenhouses while the remainder is used for open-field seed production facilities and infrastructure. Currently, approximately 70 permanent workers are employed at the new facility. Additionally, BASF provides employment to more than 100 seasonal workers. The majority of employees were hired from surrounding areas and trained within the company.

High sustainability standards and commitment to social responsibility

The site meets BASF health, safety and environmental standards and exceeds Ethiopia's joint sustainability requirements. To reduce carbon footprint, renewable energy sources are predominantly used to generate electricity. To reduce carbon footprint, renewable energy sources are predominantly used to generate electricity. The greenhouses are heated with solar panels. Additionally, the facility has its own wastewater treatment plant and all waste it produces can be recycled on-site.