Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin Quotes

Ethiopia, Economist
July 12, 1964

Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin is an Ethiopian economist with a swiss nationality and a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX). She has had many years of experience working on agricultural markets – particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa – and has held senior positions in the World Bank, the International Food Policy Research Institute (Washington), and United Nations (Geneva).

Anywhere the struggle is great, the level of ingenuity and inventiveness is high.

Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin
- Great
- High
- Struggle
Like its agriculture, Africa's markets are highly under-capitalized and inefficient. We know from our work around the continent that transaction costs of reaching the market, and the risks of transacting in rural, agriculture markets, are extremely high. In fact, only one third of agricultural output produced in Africa even reaches the market.

Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin
- Work
- High

One way to express choice is through the market. Well-functioning markets provide choices and, ultimately, the ability to express one's pursuit for happiness.

Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin
- Choices
We spend most of our lives cutting down our ambitions because the world has told us to think small. Dreams express what your soul is telling you, so as crazy as your dream might seem - even to you - I don't care: You have to let that out.

Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin
- World
- Soul
- Dream
Happiness is the freedom of choice. The freedom to choose where to live, what to do, what to buy, what to sell, from whom, to whom, when and how.

Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin
- Live
- Freedom