Addis Ababa, July 23, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopia is championing a bold and integrated approach to food sovereignty, combining climate policy, indigenous knowledge, and cultural identity, as continental voices convene in Addis Ababa for the African Chefs Gathering and Policy Convening on African Food Systems.
Held under the theme “My Food is African: Chefs and Changemakers Shaping Food Futures,” the three-day event has brought together chefs, policymakers, agroecology experts, and grassroots leaders to confront the growing threats to African food systems and advocate for sustainable, locally rooted alternatives.
Representing Ethiopia’s Ministry of Planning and Development, Ms. Hana Abebe, Chief of Staff and Special Advisor to the Minister, underscored the urgent need to rethink food systems in the face of intensifying climate shocks.
“African food systems that nourish the people, shape culture and drive the economy are increasingly under threat from erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, land degradation, and the growing unpredictability of climate shocks,” she said.
She noted that Ethiopia is leading by example through the alignment of food systems transformation with climate policy.
The country is investing in climate-smart agriculture, land restoration, and the empowerment of smallholder farmers—especially women and youth—as part of a broader strategy to promote sustainability and resilience, she asserted.
Ms. Hana cited key policy instruments guiding this transformation, including the Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy, National Adaptation Plan, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy.
She also highlighted the success of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative in reversing land degradation and supporting livelihoods.
“The climate crisis is not just a challenge but an opportunity to transform our food systems toward resilience, sustainability, and equity,” she affirmed, calling for stronger multi-stakeholder partnerships to advance food sovereignty across the continent.
AFSA General Coordinator Dr. Million Belay echoed the urgency of transformation, stressing that Africa’s food system is under pressure from a triple burden: hunger, micronutrient deficiency, and non-communicable diseases.
“Our food is everything of us—our identity, our existence,” Dr. Belay said, calling for the preservation of indigenous knowledge and the enactment of agroecological policies that support agricultural diversification and food culture.
Françoise Uwumukiza, Chairperson of the East African Legislative Assembly’s Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources Committee, warned that outdated, export-driven policies inherited from colonial models continue to undermine traditional knowledge and food sovereignty.
“We must uplift traditional food systems, which have long been stigmatized, and value indigenous knowledge in tackling malnutrition and climate change,” she said.
The day featured chef-led storytelling, policy dialogue, and regional case studies on agroecological innovation, laying the groundwork for the development of a Chef-led Declaration on African Food Sovereignty that will identify key policy priorities to protect local food systems and promote African-grown diets.
As the host nation, Ethiopia’s integrated approach—rooted in climate resilience, food sovereignty, and cultural identity—was repeatedly cited as a continental model for sustainable food system reform.