July Ethiopian Public Health Institute partners with University of Galway on sustainable & healthy food systems

University of Galway and Ethiopian Public Health Institute have partnered to conduct research and innovation activities to enable transitions to more sustainable, healthy and affordable diets in Addis Ababa city region

The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and University of Galway in have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen their partnership research and educational activities on the theme of “Nutrition, Food Systems and Public Health”.

The EPHI is the key research institute of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, while University of Galway is Ireland’s leading university on sustainable development. 

The partnership between the EPHI and University of Galway, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, coincides with the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between July 27-29^th 2025.

The UNFSS+4 is a global multistakeholder platform to accelerate food systems transformation in support of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In January, for the African continent, the UNFSS+4 builds further from the momentum of the Kampala Declaration adopted by African Union member states in January 2025, which aims to build resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Africa.

Aligned with UNFSS+4 and Kampala Declaration policy goals, the EPHI - University of Galway Memorandum of Understanding establishes a framework for joint research, educational and capacity development initiatives on sustainable, resilient and healthy food systems between the two organisations. The partnership builds on ongoing collaboration resulting from the EcoFoodSystems project funded by the European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which is led by University of Galway. EcoFoodSystems is conducting research with national stakeholders in Ethiopia to enable transitions towards diets that are more sustainable, healthy and affordable in Addis Ababa city region.

By 2050, more than 70% of the world population will be living in urban areas, mostly living in rapidly expanding city regions. The EcoFoodSystems project is focused on enabling sustainable food systems transitions in Addis Ababa, a city of almost 6 million people which will expand to 12 million people by 2050, largely driven by inward migration. On March 18^th 2025, EPHI and University jointly ran a multistakeholder EcoFoodSystems workshop in Addis Ababa to identify key priorities for transitions towards sustainable food systems and diets in the city region.

            Speaking on the inter-institutional partnership, Project Leader of the EcoFoodSystems project, Professor Charles Spillane of University of Galway said: “The future of food systems will be dictated by what foods are consumed in urban areas, particularly rapidly growing city regions such as Addis Ababa. The foods that are purchased and consumed in urban areas will increasingly dictate what is grown in rural areas. Given that over 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, a key challenge facing our agriculture and food systems is how to deliver a sustainable, healthy and affordable diet for city regions, while strengthening the livelihoods of rural food producers. The University of Galway is honoured to work with the EPHI on research, education and innovation activities to address this grand challenge.”

            Dr Masresha Tessema. Director of the Nutrition, Environmental Health and Non-communicable Disease Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, said: “The partnership with the University of Galway offers a valuable opportunity for EPHI to strengthen evidence-based decision-making across Ethiopia’s food and nutrition systems. Through the EcoFoodSystems project, this collaboration supports our national goals by building local research capacity, fostering innovative approaches to sustainable diets, and aligning multisectoral efforts to improve nutrition and public health outcomes.”

            Ambassador of Ireland to Ethiopia, Olivia Leslie, further added: “I welcome the signature of this Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Galway and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute. The agreement will deepen collaboration and research between the institutions on food systems and nutrition, and it is fitting that is being announced during this week’s UN Food Systems Summit here in Addis Ababa. For over 30 years, Ireland’s development partnerships in Ethiopia have had a strong focus on supporting health, nutrition, and inclusive economic growth, particularly for women and girls. Effective food systems are a critical underpinning to this.”

The new partnership between University of Galway and EPHI marks an important step in aligning public health and food systems research to tackle the challenges of urbanisation, climate change, and the double burden of malnutrition in Addis Ababa and Ethiopia. The new partnership will allow the institutions to join forces to generate evidence, build capacity, and inform policy pathways that can improve the health and sustainability of food systems in Addis Ababa and beyond.

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