Under the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, Ethiopia’s National Agriculture Investment Forum brings together global stakeholders to drive sustainable agrifood systems transformation
06.09.2024
Ethiopia held a National Agriculture Investment Forum from 14–15 August 2024 in Addis Ababa. Backed up by FAO's Hand-in-Hand (HIH) Initiative, this landmark event drew approximately 600 participants, including high-level representatives from government, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and international organizations. The forum provided a platform to discuss HIH-identified investment cases and explore potential alliances and investments.
The Forum commenced with an official welcome remark by the Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Dr. Girma Amente, and a compelling opening statement by Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Temesgen Tiruneh, who underscored the vast agricultural investment opportunities of Ethiopia. “As we look across the fertile landscape of Ethiopia, we see not just fields and pasturelands, but also the promises of prosperity, sustainability, and resilience. This vision drives us, and with your participation, we are determined to turn it into a reality," he noted.
FAO Chief Economist, Maximo Torero, delivered a powerful keynote speech, presenting sobering statistics on global hunger: 733 million people suffer from hunger, and 2.8 billion lack access to healthy diets. Despite these daunting global challenges, he highlighted that Ethiopia is showing progress result of the transformative actions being implemented.
He further stressed the importance of a collaborative effort involving all stakeholders, including private investors, to build resilient and sustainable food systems across Ethiopia’s diverse agroecological regions. The HIH Initiative, he noted, is crucial in driving significant investments to lift farmers out of poverty and enhance food security.
Torero's speech was followed by a series of insightful presentations. First, the Minister of Planning and Development, H.E. Dr. Fitsum Assefa presented a comprehensive overview of Ethiopia's ambitious economic reforms. “Agriculture is prioritized areas in the current economic reform initiative and the Ten Years Development Plan identified by the government to help unlocking Ethiopia’s potential to ensure food security, boost exports and substitute import,” she said.
Then, Dr. Habtamu Simachew, Senior Legal and Policy Advisor at the Ethiopian Investment Commission, highlighted policies to attract investment in Ethiopia's agriculture sector. The third session focused on agricultural transformation by the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI).
Subsequently, the State Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Dr. Sofia Kasa took the stage and discussed Ethiopia's expanding economy and the numerous investment opportunities in agriculture, with a particular focus on ranch development, animal feed production, mechanization, small scale Irrigation facilities and soil health improvements. “Ethiopia has a huge potential for the livestock sector, and we are inviting the private sector to be engaged in livestock production, including animal feed production. The market will not be an issue for the private sectors,” she emphasized.
Lastly, Engineer Hizkias Dufera Ayana, special advisor to the Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands, highlighted innovative farming models aimed at enhancing productivity and sustainability through extensive irrigation infrastructure.
Spanning two days, the event featured presentations, discussions, roundtable sessions, business-to-business meetings and networking opportunities that reinforced Ethiopia’s commitment to agricultural transformation through innovation, infrastructure development, and favorable investment conditions.
The National Agricultural Investment Forum showcased key investment plans focusing on organic fertilizer, animal feed, agriculture liming, mechanization, irrigation equipment manufacturing, and livestock ranch development. It served as a pivotal platform for engaging stakeholders, facilitating policy dialogue, and building partnerships essential for advancing Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.
Context: Ethiopia’s strategic agricultural plans
This event is part of the Government of Ethiopia's significant efforts to transform its agricultural sector through the National Food Systems Transformation and the 10-Year Prosperity Plan (2021-2030), alongside the Ten in Ten Program. Backed by a diverse group of development partners, these initiatives aim to reshape the country’s agrifood landscape by focusing on key areas of development.