The second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+4) opened Sunday in Addis Ababa, drawing high-level officials and global partners for three days of dialogue, assessment, and renewed commitments to overhaul the world’s food systems.

Heads of state, ministers, and development leaders from more than a dozen countries touched down at Bole International Airport for the summit, including Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Delegations from Cuba, Indonesia, France, Kenya, Zambia, and others are also in attendance.

The gathering, co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy, marks the first time an African country has staged the global event. Held at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) headquarters, the summit runs through July 29 and builds on the momentum of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and its 2023 follow-up.

Ahead of the formal sessions, delegates joined field visits across Ethiopia to observe firsthand the country’s efforts to build inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food systems. From smallholder-driven innovation to climate-smart agriculture, Ethiopia is showcasing a range of homegrown solutions aimed at transforming production and consumption in the face of climate, conflict, and economic shocks.

This year’s stocktake comes at a critical juncture. Organizers say the summit will not only serve as a progress check but also a forum to deepen collaboration, mobilize financing, and confront the politicization of food supply chains—particularly in light of global disruptions such as the grain crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine.

The UN Food Systems Coordination Hub is co-convening the summit with a clear mandate: align governments, private sector actors, and civil society behind the goal of making food systems more equitable, secure, and sustainable. For Ethiopia, the summit is also a platform to elevate African voices in a conversation long dominated by actors from the Global North.