By Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have initiated cooperation on food security by holding the first-ever joint Green Legacy Forum to exchange knowledge and best practices in the crucial sector.
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H.E. Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, Special Envoy and Ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan, presided over the Green Legacy Forum which was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy Islamabad and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research at the National Agriculture Research Center.
H.E. Amir Mohyuddin, Federal Secretary for National Food Security and Research, was the chief guest of the Forum in which a large number of agriculture experts, researchers, and students took part to learn about Ethiopia’s successful policies, tools, and outcomes in building a robust food system through green economic development.
Highlighting the similarities between Ethiopia and Pakistan, Ambassador Dr. Jemal said both the countries are agro-economies and highly prone to climate change and its various manifestations.
He explained the participants as to how Ethiopia transformed into a food-self-sufficient nation under the leadership of Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, citing the Green Legacy and Yelemat Tirufat (Bounty of Basket) initiatives.
In the past six years, he said Ethiopia has planted over 40.5 billion seedlings of fruits, vegetables, animal fodder, and coffee, increasing forest cover from 17% to 23%. On the other hand, agricultural and livestock productivity in Ethiopia saw a substantial increase under the Bounty of Basket initiative.
The Ambassador expressed Ethiopia’s keenness to further cooperate with Pakistan to bolster both nations’ food security.
The Federal Secretary proposed twining of the Green Legacy and Green Pakistan initiatives to facilitate knowledge sharing and best practices in food security, promoting joint research programs.
He lauded Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Green Legacy Initiative as a symbol of prosperity and green economic development in Africa.
The Federal Secretary expressed strong interest in replicating Ethiopia’s Green Legacy in Pakistan, particularly due to its core features that include mass mobilization for afforestation and reforestation, participatory forest management, area enclosures, and sustainable land and water management programs to prevent soil erosion and ensure water conservation.
H.E. Dr. Muhammad Azam Khan, Director General of NARC, underscored the importance of joint international efforts to address climate change and its severe consequences, including floods, food insecurity, famine, hunger, and poverty.
Following the forum, the Ambassador along with the Federal Secretary inaugurated the Green Legacy Park at NARC, where they planted fruit tree seedlings to symbolize the growing fraternity between Ethiopia and Pakistan.
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