Ethiopia Rallies Regional Cooperation for Food Security, Climate-Resilient Agriculture

30 July 2025
The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa)

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia has called for stronger regional cooperation to combat food insecurity and promote sustainable food systems across Africa, using the platform of the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+4) to highlight its own national initiatives and leadership.

Speaking at the summit in Addis Ababa, President Taye AtskeSelassie emphasized that transforming food systems in the face of rising hunger, climate shocks, and economic instability requires urgent and united action across the continent. "Addressing food insecurity is not just a national priority; it demands coordinated regional and global partnerships rooted in equity, innovation, and resilience," he said.

Ethiopia, host of the summit and co-organizer alongside the UN and the Government of Italy, has been implementing bold strategies to reverse food insecurity. President Taye spotlighted the Green Legacy Initiative, under which more than 32 billion trees have been planted since 2019, helping to combat desertification, restore degraded landscapes, and improve agricultural productivity.

He also reaffirmed Ethiopia's commitment to food sovereignty through expanding irrigation, empowering smallholder farmers, and developing climate-smart agriculture policies. These domestic achievements, the President said, are closely tied to Ethiopia's desire to support regional food systems transformation.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

"Ethiopia believes in a future where African countries work together to ensure that our people have access to nutritious food, our farmers are supported, and our food systems are resilient to external shocks," he told global delegates.

Leaders from across Africa echoed the need for collaborative action. Kenyan President William Ruto stressed the integration of food strategies into national and regional policies. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud underlined agriculture's central role in livelihoods, noting it employs over 80 percent of Somalia's population. Leaders from Comoros and Nigeria also urged investment in research, innovation, and climate-adapted farming technologies.

President Taye concluded by calling on the international community to support African-led initiatives and commit to shared responsibility in addressing hunger and malnutrition. The UNFSS+4 summit, he said, must serve as a launch pad for durable partnerships and deeper regional cooperation across the Horn of Africa (HoA) and beyond.

BY STAFF REPORTER

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 30 JULY 2025

Read the original article on Ethiopian Herald.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2025 The Ethiopian Herald. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 120 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.