In response to the growing food insecurity across the Horn of Africa, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and its development partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at improving regional coordination and strengthening food systems. The agreement was reached during a ministerial meeting held in Addis Ababa from July 27 to 28, bringing together senior government officials from IGAD member states along with representatives from the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) and the Crop Trust.
The meeting took place alongside the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake and focused on practical measures to address the food crisis affecting more than 50 million people in the region. Delegates cited multiple drivers of the crisis, including erratic rainfall, prolonged drought, conflict, economic strain, and inadequate agricultural infrastructure.
IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu opened the session by pointing to the region’s vulnerability to climate and environmental stress, while also noting the lack of consistent investment in long-term food production systems. He stated that while the region faces multiple challenges, there are clear opportunities to improve production and resilience through better planning, coordination, and use of available resources.
Ethiopia’s State Minister of Agriculture, Meles Mekonnen, presented the country’s progress toward wheat self-sufficiency. He credited the achievement to increased irrigation, the introduction of improved seed varieties, and changes in farming practices. Meles also shared updates on Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative, which has involved planting over 40 billion seedlings since 2019 to restore degraded land and improve local ecosystems.
Meles outlined four areas for regional collaboration: enhancing early warning systems and cross-border coordination; promoting joint research and extension services; aligning national food security strategies; and establishing mechanisms to pool resources and technical support. His message was consistent with those delivered by ministers and delegates from Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, who spoke about the need for more practical cooperation on agriculture and water security.
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The meeting concluded with the adoption of a joint communiqué that identifies specific areas for collective action. These include improving seed supply systems, supporting conservation of local crop varieties, expanding the use of climate-adapted farming methods, and developing systems for early response to food crises. To support these efforts, IGAD will coordinate a new regional technical task force, with support from AGFUND and the Crop Trust. The task force will be responsible for drafting implementation plans and tracking progress against agreed goals.
Development organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expressed support for IGAD’s approach. The FAO pointed to its ongoing work in supporting small-scale farmers, pastoral communities, and food markets across the region. Officials emphasized the need for sustained collaboration between national governments, regional bodies, and technical partners to ensure that policy agreements translate into practical results.
The summit discussions reinforced the point that current levels of investment and policy coordination are insufficient to meet the scale of need. Speakers pointed to the gap between high-level commitments and on-the-ground delivery and called for clearer frameworks to guide funding, implementation, and accountability.
While the problems facing the region remain severe, the agreements reached in Addis Ababa indicate a more structured and cooperative approach to improving food security. The newly signed MoU and the formation of a regional task force provide a foundation for action, with a focus on practical implementation, better use of data, and increased resource-sharing across countries. Whether this approach delivers tangible change will depend on the consistency of follow-through and the degree of collaboration among all involved.
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