STORY: As Ethiopia hosts the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, a youth-led poultry project on the outskirts of the capital is offering a local response to rising food prices.
:: Furi, Ethiopia
Here, groups of young people have established small-scale chicken farms with support from local authorities.
And they are selling eggs and live chickens at lower prices than traditional markets.
One consumer said a bird that once sold for up to $36 now goes for as little as $18, depending on size.
This initiative is part of a broader government effort to boost domestic food production.
Launched in June 2024, it now includes more than 20 youth associations in the Furi locality alone.
Sanbato Lumi, a local job creation officer, explains that the initiative addresses both food affordability and youth unemployment.
“We have been able to produce chicken and eggs in mass by organizing our unemployed youths. There are about 20 youth associations in this locality only. These associations supply the society eggs and chicken at a very low price especially for the residents of this area and at exhibitions and bazaars during festive seasons.”
While the Sheger farms are not officially part of the UN summit program, they reflect the grassroots solutions the event aims to spotlight.
For now, the model appears to be working.
Offering relief to families facing high food prices and provides young people with a sustainable source of income.
