The African Union Commission and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing durable solutions towards Zero Hunger in Africa, calling for stronger partnerships, coordinated investment and African-led approaches to food and nutrition security.At the AU–IFRC High-Level Convening on Advancing Durable Solutions Towards Zero Hunger in Africa, held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa on November 3, Chairperson of the African Union Commission H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf met with IFRC Secretary General Mr. Jagan Chapagain to discuss how to strengthen Africa’s food systems through climate-resilient agriculture, enhanced intra-African trade, improved connectivity and strengthened agricultural value chains.
The high-level convening, co-convened by the Kingdom of Lesotho and represented by His Majesty King Letsie III, African Union Champion for Nutrition and IFRC Zero Hunger Champion, brought together governments, National Societies, financial institutions, donors, the private sector and other strategic partners to showcase locally led solutions and discuss country investment priorities. The event aims to move beyond dialogue towards practical action, stronger partnerships and sustained investment in solutions that enable communities across Africa to become more food secure and resilient.
The African Union Commission and IFRC, working with African National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Member States, have advanced a shared continental ambition towards Zero Hunger through the Pan-African Initiative Towards Zero Hunger and the AU–IFRC Nutrition and Food Resilience Framework, with the Food Security Resilience Platform (FSRP) intended to align country priorities, partners and resources around durable solutions. The Food and Nutrition Resilience Programme (FNRP) provides an operational focus for integrated food and nutrition resilience programming, including in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan.
Youssouf underscored the importance of leveraging modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, to advance agricultural productivity, health surveillance and humanitarian response, while emphasising Africa’s potential to achieve greater food sovereignty and self-reliance through effective governance and strong political commitment. For his part, Chapagain highlighted the importance of translating regular Africa–Asia political engagement into practical exchanges and collaborative projects, particularly those promoting sustainable and innovative approaches to food security in the face of climate change and its growing impact on agricultural practices.
The meeting also reaffirmed the importance of the AU–IFRC partnership in strengthening community health systems, supporting the establishment of the African Humanitarian Agency, and enhancing preparedness and response to climate-related risks and humanitarian emergencies. The convening seeks commitments to co-invest in country-led food security and resilience initiatives to advance operationalisation of the continental Food Security Resilience Platform through its flagship Food and Nutrition Resilience Programme, leveraging coordinated financing, innovation, technology and expertise to accelerate transformative and sustainable impact across Africa.
The initiative recognises that achieving Zero Hunger calls for combined interventions and investments on livelihoods, water resource management, community health, environmental preservation, anticipatory action and risk reduction bolstered by local transformations. By fostering collaboration between governments, development institutions, donors, private sector actors, humanitarian organisations and communities, the initiative seeks to unlock scalable and sustainable solutions that strengthen food security, nutrition, livelihoods and resilience across the continent.
The challenge now is to convert the political commitments and partnership frameworks announced at the convening into measurable progress on the ground, with the Zero Hunger: United for Durable Solutions campaign supporting advocacy, partnerships and resource mobilisation towards this wider ambition.
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