Ethiopian Commodities Exchange

InvestingInAfrica reports on the proposed Ethiopian Commodities Exchange, a project headed by Eleni Gabre-Medhin, a TED Global speaker:

The market is an attempt to bring order and transparency to the agricultural sector, thus making it more efficient. Studies estimate that only a third of the grain produced by Ethiopian farmers makes it to market...The ECEX will electronically connect 10 different warehouses throughout the country, establish 20 remote trading sites, and 200 electronic information boards in various rural areas. It is hoped that these initiatives will level the playing field between producer and purchaser. Smallholders will know what their produce is actually worth on the market, thus preventing them from being taken advantage of. It should also allow them to make more efficient cropping decisions.