ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Experts and policymakers, convening a high-level conference aimed at achieving zero hunger, have called for redoubling efforts to eradicate hunger in Africa and across the world by investing in solutions that foster resilience, economic growth, and self-reliance.

The appeal was made at the World Without Hunger Conference, which opened Tuesday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. Jointly organized by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the African Union (AU), and the Ethiopian government with support from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the three-day high-level conference brought together decision-makers, senior officials from the UN and regional organizations, private sectors, representatives of different financial institutions, the donor community, and experts, among others.

Addressing the conference, AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said ending hunger is an aspiration that the world, particularly Africa, hopes to achieve in the near future as hunger remains the most vital challenge facing humanity.

Faki said African leaders, back in 2014, have adopted the Malabo Declaration with a goal of ending hunger by 2025. "One year before (the timeframe set by) the Malabo Declaration, Africa is not on track to end hunger, and we are, unfortunately, far from the target."

The chairperson said despite being endowed with rich arable land, a working-age youth population, and a significant amount of freshwater reserves, the African continent is still food insecure.

Faki, citing recent reports, said over 280 million Africans, representing about 20 percent of the continent's total population, are currently food insecure, and over 850 million people in Africa cannot afford a healthy diet. He said while the global hunger statistics have declined in every other part of the world, the situation has not improved in Africa.

"It is unacceptable. In fact, it is a crying shame that with all these resources, Africa still cannot feed herself, and this has to be changed," Faki said. He expressed his hope that the high-level conference will provide fresh insights on how to tackle the main drivers of hunger in Africa as well as tangible outcomes on how to reverse the situation.

UNIDO Director-General Gerd Muller, on his part, said that hunger, as a significant issue related to poverty, is closely linked to the global wealth imbalance, highlighting the necessity of restructuring the global market and rethinking the process of globalization.

"Africa's population would grow to 2.5 billion by 2050. First of all, they need daily food. Here in Africa, ending hunger is possible as this continent has great potentials -- 60 percent of the world's available arable land is here, six of the fastest growing economies are African countries, and Africa could be the first continent to power itself through renewable energies and the potential is there," he said.

The UNIDO chief, however, said despite its potentials, Africa's productivity is still too low, with many African countries increasingly becoming food importers. Muller said ensuring peace, stability, good governance, and addressing corruption are among the necessary pre-conditions that are crucial to ensure food security in Africa. He further called for strong investments in promoting productivity, mechanization, irrigation, storage, and infrastructure development.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, on his part, stressed that collaborative efforts uniting global leaders, experts, and advocates will yield innovative solutions and partnerships to achieve the common goal of eradicating hunger and ensuring food security for all.

"When we committed to achieving zero hunger as a global community, we could not have foreseen how climate change, natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and escalating global conflicts would divert us from this noble goal. Yet, the complexity of these challenges has only underscored the urgent need to redouble our efforts towards food security," he said.

"However, ending world hunger is about more than just increasing productivity. It requires us to tackle systemic issues, such as poverty, inequality, and climate resilience in a holistic manner," said the prime minister.

According to a recent report by five UN agencies, around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa, warning that the world is falling significantly short of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-2, zero hunger, by 2030.

Participants at the high-level conference also said that while the world produces enough food, it often fails to reach those in need as vulnerable populations across the world still lack the means to access it. They underscored the urgent need to invest in solutions that promote resilience, economic growth, and self-reliance to eliminate hunger.

Running through Thursday, the conference addresses "the gravest challenges of our time" with solution-oriented technical sessions, an investment forum, and a high-level political forum. Enditem

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