File photo
Doha: In light of the escalating challenges threatening global food security and the repercussions of climate change on agricultural and food production systems, all eyes will turn tomorrow, Sunday, to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where the UN Food Systems Summit will convene under the theme: "Building Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems to End Hunger."
The Summit is organized in partnership between Ethiopia, Italy, and the United Nations, with high-level international participation, including several heads of state and government, Mr. António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, as well as ministers, experts, representatives of civil society organizations, and youth advocates for food and development issues from around the world.
The Summit comes at a highly sensitive time, as the impacts of wars and armed conflicts on global food security are increasing, through disrupting supply chains, destroying agricultural infrastructure, and displacing communities, leading to a worsening of humanitarian crises in several parts of the world.
Under these circumstances, there is an urgent need for effective policies that strengthen food systems and support the capacity of nations, especially developing and least developed countries, to adapt to multiple crises, foremost among them climate change, which is no less dangerous than armed conflicts in its threat to food security and stability.
The plenary sessions, ministerial roundtables, and discussion panels involving experts from various disciplines will address a range of pivotal topics, including climate-smart agriculture, inclusive governance, financing mechanisms, and the rights of marginalized communities.
The Summit, which will continue until next Tuesday, will focus on formulating innovative solutions to address the repercussions of armed conflicts and climate change, as well as confronting challenges related to food safety, which affect the lives of millions of people annually.
The Summit also aims to stimulate the mobilization of financial resources, including debt restructuring, and to assess the progress made on commitments announced during the first Food Systems Summit held in Rome in 2021, with a focus on successes, obstacles, and gaps in implementing national pathways for transforming food systems.
Since the Rome Summit, 127 countries have adopted national transformation pathways, many of which have made remarkable progress, while other countries still face significant setbacks due to climate shocks, conflicts, and economic instability, in addition to the extended effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Addis Ababa Summit will provide a vital platform for reflecting on the adopted national pathways and evaluating the progress made in their implementation on the ground.
Participants will review progress reports and engage in high-level sessions to discuss multiple strategies aimed at securing an estimated $300 to $400 billion in annual investments needed to transform global food systems towards sustainability.
The Addis Ababa Summit falls within the framework of ongoing efforts led by the United Nations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, primarily the eradication of hunger by 2030.
It represents a pivotal turning point, especially with the deadline approaching in just five years, which doubles the need for concrete actions and accelerating the pace of implementation.
The Summit aims to exchange practical successes in building sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems, as well as evaluating global progress in this vital field.
In this context, Ethiopia intends to present its national experience in transforming food systems, particularly its remarkable achievements in recent years, which include achieving self-sufficiency in wheat, and its current plans to transform from an importing to an exporting country for this strategic commodity, by enhancing agricultural production and productivity.
The Summit represents a crucial opportunity to enhance global efforts towards achieving food security and eradicating hunger, by focusing on international cooperation, resource mobilization, and supporting local initiatives.
The Summit is expected to witness the launch of new public-private partnerships to finance sustainable agriculture projects and develop resilient supply chains.
