Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called for a complete overhaul of the global food and economic systems and has made a six-point proposal for a world free of hunger. He said hunger is not due to any shortage, it is a failure of the economic structure we have created. We need to change this system.
He made these remarks during his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the World Food Forum (WFF) 2025, organized at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy, on Monday.
In his six-point proposal for reforming the global food and economic structure, Professor Yunus first said, ‘Stop the war, start dialogue, and ensure food reaches conflict zones. This will break the vicious cycle of hunger and conflict.’
In the second proposal, he said that funding commitments must be fulfilled to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), effective steps must be taken to address the climate crisis, and vulnerable populations must be helped to build resilience.
In the third proposal, he said that the food supply chain should be stabilized by forming regional food banks. In the fourth proposal, he said that young agricultural entrepreneurs and local businessmen should be supported through financing, infrastructure and global partnerships.
In the fifth proposal, he called for the lifting of export bans and said that trade policy should be a facilitator of food security, not an obstacle.
In the sixth proposal, he said that opportunities for technology and innovation should be ensured, especially for young farmers and entrepreneurs in the Global South.
Professor Yunus said, "In 2024, 673 million people were hungry, yet we produced enough food. This is not a failure of production, it is a failure of the economic system, a moral failure. Where billions of dollars could not be raised to eliminate hunger, the world spent 2.7 trillion dollars on weapons. Can we call this progress?"
Professor Yunus said, "Bangladesh is a founding member of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. We are committed to providing technical, financial and moral support to the FAO and the G-20. Let us work together to build a triple-zero world," he urged.
Professor Yunus said that FAO’s 80th anniversary is not just a celebration, it is a call to prepare for the future. This year’s theme, “Hand in hand, towards better food and a better future,” reminds us: food is not just about calories, it is about dignity, justice and the kind of world we want to live in.
He praised FAO’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning Alliance for Food Security and Peace, which he hopes will continue to play a key role in global food security in the future.
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