ADDIS ABABA – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for a transformative, Africa-centered approach to food security, emphasizing the need for resilient and inclusive food systems amid intensifying global challenges.
Her remarks came during the opening of the Second United Nations Food Systems Summit, co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy in Addis Ababa.
Meloni stressed that despite notable progress in combating hunger over the past decade, food insecurity remains a pressing global concern, disproportionately affecting the African continent.
“While global food insecurity has decreased over the past seven years, it still affects around 10 percent of the world’s population,” she said. “One in five people in Africa suffer from hunger and lacks access to safe, nutritious food.”
She noted that the situation has been worsened by recent global shocks– including the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts–which have disrupted economic stability, global trade, and food supply chains, and contributed to rising inflation, particularly in fragile economies across Africa.
“We know very well that when people lose access to food or the ability to produce it, the consequences can be catastrophic,” she warned.
Meloni urged the international community to address food insecurity not just as a humanitarian issue, but as a strategic political and economic challenge. She emphasized that food systems must be seen as engines of development, not merely as responses to poverty and suffering.
“We would be making a serious mistake if we only viewed food systems through the lens of poverty and hunger,” she stated. “Communities must not only produce enough food but also have the capacity to process, distribute, and market it through resilient and accessible supply chains.”
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Highlighting Italy’s support for Africa, the Prime Minister pointed to her country’s experience in the agri-food sector, which blends tradition with innovation, and its commitment to public-private partnerships aimed at attracting investments in sustainable agriculture.
She cited an ongoing Italian-backed initiative in Algeria, which is reclaiming over 36,000 hectares of desert land, expected to boost cereal and legume production by 45,000 tons annually, create 6,000 jobs, and benefit more than 600,000 people.
“We are applying this development-centered vision to food security initiatives across the continent,” she added.
Meloni reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to supporting African countries in developing sustainable food systems that promote economic self-sufficiency, reduce vulnerability to external shocks, and empower communities to become active participants in global agri-food markets.
The summit continues this week in Addis Ababa, focusing on advancing concrete global actions to end hunger, improve nutrition, and build sustainable, climate-smart food systems.
