**Ethiopia and Pakistan Launch Joint Efforts to Boost Food Security and Green Development**
Ethiopia and Pakistan have launched a new partnership focused on food security, marked by the inauguration of the first joint Green Legacy Forum in Islamabad. The event, organized collaboratively by the Ethiopian Embassy and Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research, brought together agricultural experts, policymakers, and students to learn from Ethiopia’s successful green initiatives and explore avenues for bilateral cooperation in sustainable agriculture.
The Green Legacy Forum, presided over by Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, Ethiopia’s Special Envoy and Ambassador to Pakistan, highlighted the shared challenges and opportunities between the two agro-based economies, particularly in the face of climate change. Ambassador Dr. Jemal outlined Ethiopia’s transformative journey toward food self-sufficiency, crediting the Green Legacy and Yelemat Tirufat (Bounty of Basket) programmes spearheaded under Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Ethiopia’s recent achievements include the planting of over 40.5 billion seedlings over the past six years, resulting in an increase in forest cover from 17% to 23%. These efforts, coupled with successful agricultural and livestock productivity initiatives, have fortified Ethiopia’s food systems and positioned it as a model for green economic development in Africa. Ambassador Dr. Jemal emphasized Ethiopia’s readiness to share its experiences and collaborate further with Pakistan to enhance the food security of both nations.
Pakistani officials echoed this enthusiasm for collaboration. Amir Mohyuddin, the Federal Secretary for National Food Security and Research and chief guest at the forum, proposed aligning the Green Legacy program with Pakistan’s own Green Pakistan initiative. This partnership would facilitate knowledge exchange, best practices, and joint research, strengthening the resilience of both countries’ food systems. Secretary Mohyuddin praised Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative as a symbol of prosperity for Africa and expressed strong interest in replicating its features in Pakistan. He highlighted the importance of mass mobilization in afforestation, participatory forest management, sustainable land and water management, and community-led conservation to combat soil erosion and ensure water security.
Dr. Muhammad Azam Khan, Director General of the National Agriculture Research Center (NARC), stressed the urgency of international cooperation to tackle the consequences of climate change, citing increased instances of floods, food insecurity, famine, and poverty. He called for continued collaborative efforts to address these shared challenges.
The forum concluded with the inauguration of the Green Legacy Park at NARC, where Ambassador Dr. Jemal and Secretary Mohyuddin symbolically planted fruit tree seedlings. The gesture underscored the strengthening ties between Ethiopia and Pakistan and reinforced their joint commitment to promoting food security and sustainable development.
