Ethiopia’s Agriculture Minister Confers with International Counterparts at G-7 Forum in Italy

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia's Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente, conferred with his Italian and South African counterparts, Francesco Lollobrigida and John Henry Steenhuisen, respectively, to enhance collaboration on agricultural initiatives and food security strategies among their nations.He also held discussions with Valerie Guarnieri, Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), during the G-7 African Agricultural Forum in Siracusa, Italy.The discussion between Girma Amente and his Italian counterpart focused on strengthening cooperation in the agricultural sector, during which Girma expressed gratitude to the Italian government for its support in developing the coffee and wheat value chains in Ethiopia.Mentioning the strategic relationship between the two countries, he emphasized the need to enhance the existing cooperation on Agricultural sector to a greater height.He shared Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's initiative and the successes achieved in wheat cluster farming, as well as the " bounty of basket' (Ye Lemat Trufat) program, highlighting their impact on improving food security in Ethiopia.Girma also engaged in bilateral discussions with his South African counterpart, John Henry Steenhuisen, according to Ethiopian Embassy in Rome.On the occasion, they exchanged views on enhancing cooperation in areas such as animal health, trade of agricultural commodities, and agricultural investment.The two sides agreed to continue discussions at the technical level, aiming to formalize their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).During the discussion with Valerie Guarnieri, Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), Ethiopia's Minister emphasized the critical need for cooperation on agricultural supply chains, agricultural transformation, training, and capacity building.He highlighted that these efforts, alongside humanitarian support programs, are essential for sustainably transforming Ethiopia's food system.Source: Ethiopian News Agency