ADDIS ABABA – The Ministry of Health (MoH) emphasized the critical role of transforming the food system and nutrition landscape in fostering Ethiopia’s sustainable growth and development, ensuring food sovereignty.
A convergence workshop on climate action, Ethiopian food systems transformation, and nutrition kicked off yesterday.
This gathering aims to bring together government officials, partners, private sector actors, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders. The objective is to facilitate inclusive dialogue, integrate climate impacts into food systems transformation solutions, and strengthen implementation capacities.
In her keynote speech, Health Minister Mekdes Daba (MD) highlighted the significance of transforming Ethiopia’s food systems and nutrition landscape. She emphasized its importance for ensuring access to food security, promoting healthy diets, empowering vulnerable households, improving nutritional outcomes and strengthening livelihoods
Mekdes acknowledged the profound impact of climate change on the country. She stressed the importance of collective efforts to implement climate-responsive actions, aligning with the country’s food system transformation roadmap and the Sekota Declaration on food and nutrition.
“The MoH is deeply committed to collaborating across sectors to adapt and mitigate the current and future impacts of climate change,” she stated. “Our commitment to ending the stunting challenge among children, as outlined in the Sekota Declaration, is a game-changing solution for food system transformation. The country has been actively implementing this initiative in 34 woredas (districts).”
Agriculture Minister Girma Amente (PhD) stressed the need for cross-sectoral coordination in integrating food system transformation with climate action.
“The convergence initiative brings together diverse actors with complementary knowledge, skills, systems, and innovative approaches,” he said. “By aligning global, regional, national, and local efforts, we can address complex and interrelated challenges in a more coherent, inclusive, and impactful manner.”
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov (PhD) applauded the government and its partners for their ongoing efforts to ensure food security for all and to modernize agricultural food systems through value chain mechanisms.
“The UN has been actively supporting not only the efforts of the Ethiopian government but also its dialogues with the private sector to create an environment for partnership with investors,” Ramiz said. “Moreover, we are promoting resilience, job creation, and climate-responsive actions.”
BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 16 JANUARY 2025
