Ethiopia: IGAD Ministers Unite to Tackle Food Security Challenges

30 July 2025
The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa)

-Sign MoU to build sustainable food systems

ADDIS ABABA - Ministers of Agriculture from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region and development partners gathered in Addis Ababa to discuss effective responses to escalating food insecurity.

The high-level meeting, held on the sidelines of the UN Food Systems Summit, concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation to build sustainable food systems and bolster agricultural resilience.

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Ethiopia's Agriculture State Minister Meles Mekonnen underscored the country's strong commitment to achieving food self-sufficiency. He pointed to Ethiopia's notable progress in wheat production, which he said was achieved through expanded irrigation, improved seed varieties, and enhanced farming techniques.

He emphasized the need for enhanced cross-border coordination and early warning systems to respond more effectively to crises. Meles also highlighted the Green Legacy Initiative's contribution to restoring degraded landscapes and increasing climate resilience through the planting of billions of seedlings.

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu(PhD) said the region is facing an alarming prospect, with 50 million people projected to suffer from severe hunger by 2025. He called the current crisis a test of the region's collective resolve and stressed the importance of innovative and coordinated responses.

He reaffirmed IGAD's founding principle, that true prosperity begins where hunger ends, and emphasized the shared responsibility to build lasting food security.

According to Workneh, the worsening situation is being driven not only by climate shocks but also by prolonged conflicts, economic fragility, and widespread displacement, which continue to erode vital food system infrastructure.

Ministers attending the meeting highlighted the need for deeper regional cooperation to modernize agriculture, improve seed systems, and promote technologies that can help smallholder farmers withstand environmental and market challenges. In a major step forward, IGAD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AGFUND and Crop Trust, laying the groundwork for closer collaboration in key areas such as climate-smart agriculture and digital financial access.

The meeting concluded with a renewed sense of urgency and commitment to build resilient and inclusive food systems that can help the region weather both current and future challenges.

BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 30 JULY 2025

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