26/07/2025
H.E. honored at the UN Food Systems Summit +4 (UNFSS+4) High Level Convening
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In a keynote address that combined personal tribute and bold vision, former Ethiopian Prime Minister and current AGRA Board Chair, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn today, July 26, 2025, called on African leaders and global partners to scale up regenerative school meals as a transformative tool to advance Agenda 2063 and secure a just, nourished, and resilient future for the continent.
Addressing the UN Food Systems Summit +4 (UNFSS+4) High-Level Convening on “Nourishing the Future through Regenerative School Meals” in Addis Ababa, H.E. Hailemariam opened with a deeply personal acknowledgement to H.E. Roman Tesfaye, former First Lady of Ethiopia. “Now, before I go any further,” he said, “allow me to offer a very personal note of thanks to Her Excellency Roman Tesfaye, the former First Lady of Ethiopia and the mother of our three wonderful children, for showing me the profound significance of school meal programs, and for her unwavering dedication to supporting remote and underserved communities.”
“Her Excellency Roman boldly championed school meals in Ethiopia when few others recognized their full potential. She pioneered programs that reached thousands of children in Addis Ababa, making her, in many ways, a mother to more than 27,000 children whose lives have been touched by her deep commitment to nourishment, education, and dignity,” he highlighted. He added that, through the Hailemariam & Roman Foundation, she continues to support ten primary schools in South Omo—one of Ethiopia’s most underserved pastoral regions. The program provides daily meals that not only nourish students and reduce dropout rates but also create income opportunities for mothers and strengthen local food systems—proving that a single school meal can drive transformative change across entire communities.
H.E. Hailemariam’s address made clear that school meals are no longer just an education or nutrition issue—they are now central to Africa’s sustainable development strategy. “Let’s be clear,” he said. “Regenerative school meals are among the most cost-effective and scalable ways to build sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient food systems. They feed minds, empower farmers, and heal the land—all at once.”
“Our vision is bold but achievable: a continent where every child is nourished, every farmer is empowered, and no one is left behind,” he affirmed, underscoring that school meals are not only a social good, but a powerful driver for Africa’s future.
While celebrating progress—65 million children across Africa now benefit from school meal programs—he underscored the urgency of reaching the remaining 23 million children who still attend school hungry. “This is not just a statistic—it is a moral wake-up call and a development opportunity we must seize.”
Across the continent, governments are showing leadership in scaling up school meal programs. “Ethiopia stands out with a nationwide program that now reaches over 10 million children. Kenya has achieved a major milestone by ensuring that school meals in all public primary schools are 100% government funded. In Ghana, the School meal Programme serves approximately 1.7 million children and employs more than 34,000 caterers, most of them women” he noted.
Recognizing school meals as essential to achieving Agenda 2063, H.E. Hailemariam called for stronger multi-sectoral coordination, greater domestic investment, and the integration of smallholder farmers—particularly women and youth—into school meal supply chains.
