Russia has publicly pledged to support African nations in achieving food sovereignty by offering to share its experience, knowledge, and technology for the modernization of the continent’s agricultural sector. This commitment was made during the International Conference on Ensuring Food Sovereignty for African Countries, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 20–21, 2025. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reinforced the message, stating that Russian economic operators would continue to provide the necessary assistance to address the challenge of food security, framing it as a “fundamental pillar of true and lasting national sovereignty.”
The conference, organized by Rossotrudnichestvo, gathered over 250 delegates from 15 African nations, emphasizing a strategic shift from dependency on foreign aid to self-sufficiency and political-economic independence in food production. The agenda specifically covered critical topics such as the transfer of knowledge and technology for agricultural modernization, the localization of food processing, the development of logistics routes for fertilizer supply, and the strengthening of human capital within the agro-industrial complex.The discussions included strategic dialogues, such as one between Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture, Addisu Arega, and Russia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Andrey Razin, focused on developing improved seed varieties, particularly for sunflower crops, to boost Ethiopia’s self-sufficiency in edible oil. By offering practical expertise in areas like mechanized farming and digital agriculture, Russia is positioning itself as a strategic partner aligned with key African frameworks like the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
