Ethiopia’s Senai Wolderufael is Solving Africa’s Problem of Food Distribution
Senai Wolderufael is an Ethiopian entrepreneur and the CEO of Feed Green Ethiopia Exports which harvests, packages and exports Ethiopian spice blends and other staples.
Senai was formerly an Ethiopian Airlines employee, where he worked for nearly four years as a customer service agent earning $150 per month before he became an entrepreneur and launched Feed Green Ethiopia in 2012 to produce and export Ethiopian spices and dry food items to different parts of the world.
He is a graduate of the Addis Ababa University and prior to starting the company in 2012, Wolderufael was a customer service agent at Ethiopian Airlines where he noticed members of the Ethiopian diaspora carrying bags full of Ethiopian spice blends – such as Berbere and Shiro – when travelling back to the west.
Seeing the demand, Wolderufael had the idea to get his export business license and produce Ethiopian spice blends to supply his countrymen living in the US and Europe. Feed Green also exports other popular spices, staple foods, grain, oilseed products and is known for its established international trade routes.
Wolderufael said “I have always wanted to be dependent on my own, to be the decision maker of my fate, ever since I was a small kid, I had that wish. When the time came and the opportunity presented itself, I decided to seize the moment and go for it”
Feed Green Ethiopia processes and exports Ethipia spice blends and other staples. The company adds value to most of its products and packages them such that they are ready for consumption immediately. Its range of spices includes Berbere, Mitmita, Kundo Berbere, Mitten Shero, Tikur Azmud, Netch Azmude, Korerima, Netch Shinkurt and Tibs KItel among several others.
In explaining the production process of the spices, Wolderufael explained “We collect the spices and then process them further – we wash them, dry them and then we pack them”
Within a year of its opening, Feed Green Ethiopia raked in a revenue of over $100,000 and has continued to double its income yearly.
The company has also founded branches in various African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria. Feed Green Ethiopia continues to diversify its range of products to suit Africa’s food market.
