Ethiopia pledges to share wheat dev’t success across Eastern Africa

Addis Ababa, November 10, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopia has reaffirmed its commitment to sharing its successful experience in wheat development with countries across Eastern Africa, emphasizing the role of policy, research, and farmer participation in driving agricultural transformation.

The pledge was made during the 19th Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for Eastern Africa, held in Addis Ababa under the theme “Strengthening Partnerships and Investment for Accelerated Agrifood System Transformation and Climate Resilience in the Eastern Africa Subregion.”

Speaking on behalf of Agriculture Minister Mr. Addisu Arega, Agriculture State Minister Meles Mekonnen highlighted that Ethiopia’s wheat and landscape restoration achievements demonstrate how coordinated policies, research capacity, development partnerships, and farmer engagement can deliver measurable results.

He outlined Ethiopia’s strategic focus on strengthening land and soil health, expanding irrigation, deploying climate-resilient seeds, promoting commercial-oriented production, enhancing research and extension services, improving post-harvest management, and strengthening resilience to climate shocks and transboundary pests.

These priorities are also shared regional strategies aimed at increasing food availability, improving nutrition, developing trade corridors, and building resilient economies.

“Our progress in wheat production demonstrates what can be achieved when policy direction, research capacity, development partnership, and farmer engagement move together toward a common goal. These are lessons we are committed to sharing and scaling across the region,” State Minister Meles said.

The speech also highlighted Ethiopia’s long-standing partnership with FAO, which has supported initiatives including watershed restoration, soil conservation, livestock production, mechanization services, seed system development, value chain upgrading, and national programs such as the National Wheat Initiative, the Green Legacy Initiative, and the Home-Grown School Feeding Program.

FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, Farayi Zimudzi, said the region is endowed with rich biodiversity, a youthful population, expanding trade infrastructure, and potential for digital innovation, but persistent challenges such as malnutrition and limited access to nutritious food remain.

Strengthened partnerships and targeted investment are essential to translate the region’s potential into tangible improvements in food security, nutrition, and climate resilience.

FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile Gabriel, joining remotely, emphasized the subregion’s progress in strategic commodity self-sufficiency, digital agriculture, youth agripreneurship, integrated livestock strategies, and anticipatory action mechanisms.

He said that innovation alone is insufficient, calling for political commitment, blended financing, and private sector engagement to scale successful initiatives and achieve measurable impact.

He also highlighted FAO’s focus on accessing climate finance, scaling sustainable agriculture mechanization, land restoration, and water-energy-food nexus programs. Initiatives to link digital skills, youth entrepreneurship, agribusiness financing, and harmonized regional market standards were noted as critical enablers for sustainable agrifood systems.

The four-day MDT, conducted in a hybrid format, brings together high-level representatives from Eastern African countries, regional economic communities such as IGAD and EAC, FAO officials, and development partners.

The forum consolidates subregional priorities, reviews emerging challenges, shares successful investment cases under the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, and informs preparations for the 34th FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC34) scheduled in Mauritania in 2026.

Expected outcomes include a consolidated subregional agenda on climate resilience and agrifood systems transformation, identification of priority investment opportunities, strengthened coordination between FAO and regional bodies, and documentation of lessons from successful practices in climate-smart agriculture, digital innovation, and agribusiness.

Ethiopia’s active role in the forum underscores its leadership in agricultural innovation and regional collaboration, with wheat development serving as a model for other Eastern African countries seeking to enhance food security, climate resilience, and inclusive economic growth.