Addis Ababa, July 29, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopia is strengthening its global agricultural partnerships through a series of high-level bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktaking Moment in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture Girma Amante held discussions with Amna Aldahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Mtolo Phiri, Zambia’s Minister of Agriculture; and Greg Hallen, Team Lead for Climate-Resilient Food Systems at Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), focusing on advancing food systems transformation, investment, and value addition.
In his meeting with the UAE Minister, Girma underscored Ethiopia’s agricultural priorities, including enhancing food security, expanding agricultural exports—particularly coffee and meat—and building on the country’s flagship Green Legacy initiative. He also noted ongoing efforts with the Khalifa Foundation to launch date (temir) production in Ethiopia, with a joint meeting scheduled in August between officials from both countries.
Minister Aldahak commended Ethiopia’s achievements and emphasized the UAE’s commitment to furthering collaboration through public-private partnerships, packaging innovation, and value addition aimed at ensuring sustainable development and attracting private investment into Ethiopia’s agriculture sector.
In a separate meeting, Zambia’s Minister of Agriculture Mtolo Phiri praised Ethiopia’s notable progress in agriculture, particularly in wheat production, and expressed interest in structured experience-sharing. He proposed formalizing cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding and strengthening ties under the framework of the Joint Permanent Commission.
Further expanding Ethiopia’s international agricultural engagement, Minister Girma also met with Greg Hallen of Canada’s IDRC to discuss climate-resilient food systems. Girma highlighted Ethiopia’s integrated and inclusive approach to food systems transformation, aimed at aligning agricultural productivity with health, nutrition, and resilience goals.
Hallen welcomed Ethiopia’s leadership and the multi-sectoral collaboration it promotes, noting the country’s emphasis on tracking broader development outcomes alongside agricultural growth. He reiterated Canada’s readiness to continue supporting Ethiopia’s food systems reform efforts through evidence-based and people-centered strategies.
Additionally, Minister Girma announced that Ethiopia has signed an agreement with Italy under the Mattei Plan to support value chain development and reduce vulnerability among coffee producers, an initiative that will be jointly implemented in Ethiopia and Uganda.