Islamabad, July 24, 2025: In a significant step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation on food security and climate resilience, Ethiopia and Pakistan held the first-ever Green Legacy Forum in Islamabad on Wednesday. The forum was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy and Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC).
Dr. Jemal Beker Abdula, Ethiopia’s Special Envoy and Ambassador to Pakistan, presided over the forum, which brought together a large number of agricultural experts, researchers, and students. Amir Mohyuddin, Federal Secretary for National Food Security and Research, served as the chief guest.
Addressing the participants, Ambassador Dr. Jemal emphasized the common challenges faced by Ethiopia and Pakistan as agro-based economies vulnerable to climate change. He shared Ethiopia’s transformation into a food self-sufficient country under Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s leadership, particularly through flagship initiatives such as the Green Legacy and Yelemat Tirufat (Bounty of Basket).
Dr. Jemal noted that Ethiopia has planted over 40.5 billion seedlings of fruit trees, vegetables, animal fodder, and coffee over the past six years, increasing forest cover from 17% to 23%. He also highlighted significant gains in agricultural and livestock productivity under the Bounty of Basket program. The ambassador expressed Ethiopia’s strong interest in deepening cooperation with Pakistan to advance shared food security goals.
Federal Secretary Amir Mohyuddin praised Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative as a symbol of green economic development and prosperity in Africa. He proposed linking Ethiopia’s Green Legacy with Pakistan’s Green Pakistan program to promote knowledge sharing, joint research, and the exchange of best practices in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management.
He also expressed keen interest in replicating Ethiopia’s model in Pakistan, highlighting its core components such as large-scale afforestation, participatory forest management, sustainable land and water conservation, and community mobilization to combat soil erosion and environmental degradation.
Dr. Muhammad Azam Khan, Director General of NARC, stressed the need for joint international efforts to confront the challenges of climate change, including floods, food insecurity, hunger, and poverty. He welcomed the initiative as a timely collaboration aimed at building climate-resilient food systems in both countries.
Following the forum, Ambassador Dr. Jemal and Secretary Mohyuddin inaugurated the newly established Green Legacy Park at NARC, where they jointly planted fruit tree saplings to mark the beginning of a new phase of bilateral cooperation in agriculture and environmental sustainability.
