Ethiopia Commended for Coherent Food Systems Policy

​​​​​​Addis Ababa, July 29, 2025 (ENA)—Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition Executive Director, Lawrence Haddad, has commended Ethiopia for implementing a coherent food systems policy, stressing the need to continue to be a beacon for the rest of the world.

The Executive Director, who is in attendance of the Second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake underway in Addis Ababa, told ENA that coherence among agriculture, trade, climate and health institutions is instrumental in achieving the goal of improved nutrition or healthy foods.

In this respect, Ethiopia is doing quite well on policy coherence, he said.

For the Executive Director, some of the projects run by the government and other partners in the country are impressive.

Haddad commended Ethiopia for acknowledging that the private sector is really important to move food systems forward, to make food healthy and accessible and affordable to everyone.

“I am impressed by the determination of every stakeholder in Ethiopia, very determined to make Ethiopia a leader in this space, in Africa and the rest of the world.”

Noting that food is at the center of everything, including health, education, jobs, environment, and climate, among others, he stressed the need for advancing collaborations among all pertinent stakeholders in making decisions about food, whether businesses, governments, civil societies, researchers, and NGOs.

He stressed the need to make decisions that actively improve all of those things at the same time, emphasizing the significance of food systems to make those decisions.

Haddad further emphasized the need to find ways of embedding food systems in the climate space as climate finance needs to be more aligned with food systems.

According to him, national adaptation plans have to have food systems in them, and Ethiopia is one of the leaders in this space.

“Ethiopia needs to continue to be a beacon for the rest of the world and show the way you need to align your policies, align your budgets and align your stakeholders.”

The Second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4), which is on its  third day, has brought together representatives of UN Member States, the UN system, and international, regional, governmental and non-governmental organizations, policymakers, scientists, and the private sector, among others.