A reservoir in a horticulture farm in Koka Town, Oromia Regional State, is filled with black rectangular plastic shades to decrease the amount of sunlight that reaches the water. The shades help decrease evaporation, limit the ignition of chemical reactions from the sunlight, and reduce algae sprouts. Modern flower farms utilize a combination of contemporary innovations to outmanoeuvre the pressures of climate change, reduced rainfall and pest damage. Ethiopia is the sixth-largest exporter of flowers in the world, with the first commercial flower farms launched nearly two decades ago. Over 120 exporters have emerged since, predominantly foreign owned companies or joint ventures with local investors.

[ssba-buttons]