Addis Ababa: The World Without Hunger Conference, which was hosted in Addis Ababa for the first time outside of the organization’s headquarters, concluded successfully, said Dejene Tezera, Director of the Division of Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development at UNIDO.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, as part of ensuring food security, Ethiopia has undertaken massive economic reform during the past six years, emphasizing agricultural transformation. The country’s strategic focus on wheat production marks a significant achievement through expanded irrigated farming and modernizing agricultural practices.
The World Without Hunger Conference, themed “A World Without Hunger is Possible,” was held in Ethiopia from November 5-7, 2024. The conference brought together key stakeholders ranging from heads of state and government officials of UN agencies, private sector leaders, and civil society representatives to tackle the global challenge of food insecurity.
In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian News A
gency, Dejene Tezera highlighted the success of the conference, noting that it attracted a large number of participants. There were five heads of state, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed included, 30 ministers, representatives from 10 international financial institutions, and over 100 participants from the private sector.
Over the course of three days, nearly 140 speakers presented innovative solutions to improve food security across 40 different sessions. On the final day, international financial institutions pledged substantial funds to support food security initiatives, particularly aimed at creating and upgrading small and medium-sized enterprises in least-developed countries. The total amount pledged was approximately one trillion dollars, with a significant portion coming from Islamic banks.
Dejene emphasized that although global food production is sufficient to feed 10 billion people-well beyond the needs of the current population-hunger persists due to unequal distribution and limited access. He explained t
hat the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) focuses on economic transformation, particularly in least-developed countries, through structural changes that shift the population from low-productivity sectors like agriculture to more productive industries and services.
He added that infrastructure challenges such as water, land, power, waste treatment, and storage facilities were key obstacles to industrial growth. UNIDO’s solution is the development of integrated agro-parks, which provide the essential infrastructure for agro-industrial projects that individual investors often cannot afford or implement on their own.
He also praised the Ethiopian government’s support for the event, highlighting the strategic choice of Addis Ababa as the host city. “We were very impressed by the support we have received from the government of Ethiopia in organizing this conference. This is the first time we are holding the event outside our headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Addis Ababa was chosen because
it is the capital of Africa and the seat of the African Union Commission, which is also our co-organizer,” he added.
The event featured solution-oriented sessions, an investment forum, and a high-level political forum, all aimed at fostering coordinated action toward a hunger-free world.