Addis Ababa hosted the Second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) from July 27 to 29. Co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy, the summit convened including heads of state, ministers, United Nations officials, representatives of civil society, and youth advocates from across the globe. Distinguished attendees included Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Kenyan President William Ruto, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Comoros President Azali Assoumani, United Nations Under-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
At the opening ceremony held on Monday (July 28), Prime Minister Abiy underscored the growing strain on global food systems, citing the compounding effects of climate change, conflicts, supply disruptions, economic shocks, and widening inequalities. He noted that despite a decline in development assistance and challenges to multilateral cooperation, the international community must recommit to collective action and bold solutions. “Food is not just agriculture,” the Prime Minister said, highlighting its central role in shaping health, economies, the environment, and the future.
Emphasizing Ethiopia’s proactive approach, Prime Minister Abiy stated that the country has made a deliberate choice to act boldly by investing in local food production, reducing dependence on imports, and building resilient systems that prioritize human dignity. He announced that Ethiopia has launched a comprehensive roadmap for food systems transformation, aligned with its macroeconomic and homegrown economic reform agendas. This roadmap includes over 700 actionable interventions structured into seven strategic clusters, covering areas from production and markets to innovation, risk management, energy, and skills development.
Highlighting tangible outcomes, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia has achieved self-sufficiency in wheat production through expanded irrigation and is advancing diversified agricultural growth through initiatives such as the “Bounty of the Basket,” which promotes poultry, dairy, aquaculture, and sustainable agriculture. He also emphasized the country’s multi-sectoral efforts to combat child undernutrition under the Seqota Declaration and the climate resilience and job creation impacts of the Green Legacy Initiative, which has seen the planting of over 40 billion trees. Ethiopia’s transformation, he said, is a whole-of-nation effort engaging all levels of government, civil society, development partners, the private sector, and research institutions.
Italian Prime Minister Meloni, during her remarks, emphasized the urgency of food security in her speech at the UNFSS+4 in Addis Ababa, noting the summit’s significance as the first of its kind to be hosted in Africa. Stressing the human and political dimensions of hunger, she highlighted that 10 percent of the world’s population, disproportionately concentrated in Africa, remains food insecure. She linked this crisis to compounded global shocks including the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, inflation, and climate impacts, warning that food insecurity fuels poverty, conflict, and migration.
Meloni presented Italy’s approach, rooted in the Mattei Plan for Africa, as one that prioritizes sustainable, locally driven development. She highlighted successful projects across Algeria, Senegal, Ghana, and Congo that create jobs and reclaim arable land while strengthening food production and water management. For Italy, food sovereignty is not about dependency but empowerment, ensuring that communities can define their own agricultural models and markets. Meloni underscored the value of smallholder farmers and local traditions, calling for investments that protect quality, dignity, and fair returns for rural producers, thereby making food systems an engine of inclusive growth and stability.
In his virtual address to the summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres commended Ethiopia and Italy for co-hosting the event and underscored the urgency of transforming global food systems to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Speaking to an audience, Guterres emphasized the need for climate-resilient food policies, greater private sector engagement, and investment in innovation to reduce dependence on food imports. He noted that over 100 countries have already taken steps to align their food systems with environmental challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
Guterres warned that trade disruptions have fueled rising global food prices, making nutritious food increasingly inaccessible. He advocated for minimizing food waste, optimizing value chains, and integrating advanced technologies including artificial intelligence to enhance productivity and create job opportunities. Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of debt relief, access to finance, and reform of the global financial system to support developing nations. Calling for collective global action, he concluded by urging stronger partnerships to achieve food security and sustainable development for all.
UNFSS+4 concluded on Tuesday (July 29) after a series of high-level engagements and side events. At the closing ceremony, President Taye Atske Selassie stated that Ethiopia’s efforts to advance food system transformation and achieve food security are yielding tangible results. He highlighted the country’s progress in wheat production beyond household consumption, enabling Ethiopia to become a market supplier and profitable producer.
President Taye underscored that such achievements are evidence of Ethiopia’s commitment to food sovereignty and self-reliance while also contributing to the global effort to meet the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He noted that the global food systems agenda reflects a shared aspiration for dignity, freedom, and justice for all peoples. He also pointed to progress in irrigation development, agricultural technology adoption, and productivity gains worldwide as a testament to the effectiveness of collaborative policies and actions.
Ambassador Stefano Gatti, Director General of Development Cooperation at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, emphasized the importance of strengthening and sustaining the significant advances made in food systems, particularly in diversified agricultural economies.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed commended the partnerships forged globally to achieve the SDGs. She praised the Ethiopian Government for its leadership in organizing the summit and acknowledged the support of the Italian Government. The Deputy Secretary-General further lauded Ethiopia’s commitment to food systems transformation and its positive social and economic impacts.
Speakers stressed that strong coordination, sound decision-making, and improved agricultural financing systems are essential for enhancing global food systems. They also called for unified action by all stakeholders to bolster farmers’ productivity and resilience in the face of climate change.
The summit brought together over 5,000 participants, featured more than 30 side events, and received coverage from over 180 local and international media outlets.