Ethiopia Accelerates Agricultural Transformation to Achieve Food Sovereignty

Addis ababa: Ethiopia is intensifying efforts to transform its agricultural sector as part of a broader national drive toward food sovereignty, officials said during a high-level panel discussion held under the theme 'Agricultural Productivity for Food Sovereignty and National Pride.'According to Ethiopian News Agency, the forum was jointly organized by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) and Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), bringing together key stakeholders to assess progress, highlight success stories over the last eight years, and outline future strategies for sustainable agricultural development.Opening the discussion, State Minister of Agriculture Fikru Regassa underscored the central role of agriculture in Ethiopia's economy and food system. 'Agriculture remains the backbone of our nation, sustaining over 130 million people,' he said. The sector contributes 31 percent of Ethiopia's GDP, employs 63 percent of the workforce, and supplies nearly 60 percent of raw materials for other key industries, making it indispensable to national development.Despite its importance, Ethiopia's agriculture has historically been constrained by structural challenges, particularly its heavy dependence on rainfall and vulnerability to climate change. Traditional farming practices, characterized by low productivity and subsistence-level output, have further limited the sector's potential. However, Fikru emphasized that a decisive policy shift in recent years is beginning to yield tangible results. 'With the implementation of the Homegrown Economic Reform agenda, agriculture has emerged as one of the most dynamic and successful sectors over the past eight years,' he noted.A flagship achievement highlighted during the discussion is the country's wheat production transformation, spearheaded by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. By transitioning from rain-fed to large-scale irrigation farming, Ethiopia has moved significantly closer to wheat self-sufficiency. In parallel, the Green Legacy Initiative has gained inte rnational recognition for strengthening climate resilience, restoring degraded land, and enhancing agricultural productivity through large-scale tree planting and soil conservation.The government has also expanded efforts in the livestock sector through the Lemat Trufat ('Bounty of the Basket') initiative, aimed at boosting production and improving nutritional outcomes. Nevertheless, officials acknowledged that the sector has yet to fully meet national expectations. Fikru stressed that Ethiopia is now scaling up targeted interventions to achieve full food sovereignty while maximizing export revenues through the diversification of strategic agricultural commodities.Speaking at the event, Seife Deribe, Chief Executive Officer of ENA, highlighted the agency's role in shaping national discourse and promoting development priorities. He emphasized that strengthening agricultural productivity is essential not only for ensuring food security but also for reshaping Ethiopia's global image and breaking long-standin g reliance on external aid. 'Achieving food sovereignty is fundamental to building national confidence and transforming the country's development trajectory,' he said.The forum was organized in collaboration with the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), reflecting a coordinated national effort to drive agricultural innovation and long-term sustainability.