World Without Hunger Conference kicks off in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, November 5, 2024 (FBC) – The three-day World Without Hunger Conference, organised by the UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Government of Ethiopia and the African Union (AU) with technical assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) kicked off this morning at the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa.

The opening session is being attended by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), UNIDO Director–General Gerd Muller, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, African Union Commission Chairperson, and other high-level stakeholders including Heads of State/Government, Ministers, UN agencies, the private sector, financial institutions, donor community, DFI/IFI, civil society, non-governmental organizations, academia, and media.

Prime Minister Abiy has officially opened the conference, appreciating UNIDO for taking the initiative to organize such an important event.

The opening day of the Conference began with an opening plenary, which will set the scene for high-level discussions on agribusiness, innovation, climate change, and fair trade under the theme “Challenges and Solutions to Combat Hunger and Food Security Issues”. It will be followed by four technical sessions, which will bring together representatives from different stakeholder groups introducing their contributions and efforts to demystify the current challenges and create a path to a more sustainable and secure food system for everyone.

A field visit to a site for CEOs and others in cooperation with the Government of Ethiopia will also take place.

Under the theme “Mobilizing Investments for Sustainable Food Security Initiatives”, the second day of will feature the Investment Forum. It builds on the four technical sessions of Day 1, and will demonstrate investment opportunities in agribusiness infrastructure, technology and renewable energy. The objective of the Forum will be to create a dynamic platform for Governments, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups to pitch greenfield and SME-based projects focusing on achieving a world without hunger to potential investors.

Furthermore, the third day of the Conference will facilitate high-level statements by heads of state and government representatives. In addition, it will host a high-level government to business (G2B) dialogue among selected representatives. Finally, the political forum will conclude with the presentation of the Conference outcomes, including the Addis Ababa Call to Action for A World Without Hunger as well as the main results to be reported in the Conference Outcome Report.

UNIDO indicates that a world without hunger initiative needs investment of 50 billion USD in the coming ten years.

The Conference is expected to conclude on November 7, 2024.