Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today placed six proposals for a complete transformation of the global food and economic systems to end hunger, saying hunger is caused by the failure of the existing economic framework, says BSS report.
“Hunger is not caused by scarcity. It is caused by the failure of the economic framework that we have designed . . . we must change the system,” he said.
The chief adviser presented a keynote speech at the grand opening of the World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event 2025 at Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Headquarters in Rome, Italy, this afternoon (Rome Time).
While proposing six points to reform the global food and economic system, Prof Yunus said firstly, stop the wars, start the dialogue and ensure food access in conflict zones for breaking the hunger and conflict cycle.
He said secondly, keep the promises, fulfill the SDG finance commitments, take climate action seriously, and help the most vulnerable build resilience.
Thirdly, create regional food banks to manage shocks and stabilize supply chains, he said.
The chief adviser said fourthly, create and support local entrepreneurs, particularly youth entrepreneurs with finance, infrastructure, and global partnerships.
Fifthly, he suggested ending export bans, saying trade rules must support food security, not undermine it.
He also said sixthly, ensure access to and development of technology and innovation — especially for the Global South, and to the rural youth, both boys and girls.
“In 2024, 673 million people went hungry. Yet we produce more than enough food. This is not a failure of production — it’s a failure of the economic system. It’s a moral failure,” he observed.
He added: “While we couldn’t raise a few billion dollars to end hunger, the world spent 2.7 trillion dollars on weapons. Is this how we define progress?”
Prof Yunus stressed going deeper for systematic change, saying, “We must rethink the entire economic system. The old way—which is based on profit-maximizing business—has left billions behind.”
“We need to add a new kind of business — social business, business without personal profit,— that solves problems, not creates them, by creating sustainable business,” he said, adding, many social businesses are growing around the world but without policy support and institutional recognition.
Elaborating his vision of a Three-Zero World (Zero Wealth Concentration to end Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions), he said, “This is not a dream. It is a necessity, the only way to save the world.”
Noting that social business is the way forward, the chief adviser said, “We’ve seen its power in Bangladesh. Grameen Bank showed how poor women can be powerful entrepreneurs. Grameen Danone fights child malnutrition.”
Other social businesses created around the world have empowered people and communities, he said, adding, “These are not theories — they are living examples.”
“We must create social business funds — to support young entrepreneurs, women, farmers, agri-business creators and technology developers. We must build legal and financial frameworks to support this kind of entrepreneurship — not stand in its way,” Prof Yunus emphasised.
Turning to the role of youth, the Nobel laureate said, “Today’s young people are not like before. They are connected. They are creative. They have technology in their hands that were unthinkable just 20 years ago.”
“Let’s not tell them to wait for jobs. Let’s empower them to create jobs. Let’s tell them: you are not job-seekers — you are job creators,” he also said, adding, “Let us give them access to capital — by creating investment funds and social business funds. Let us help create agri-innovation hubs. Let us support agri-tech, circular food systems, climate-smart enterprises — all can be led by the youth.”
“If we invest in youth, we will not only feed the world, we’ll change the world,” Professor Yunus said.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s support to global cooperation, he said, “We are a founding member of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. Together with FAO and under the G20, we are committed to real, practical support — technical, financial, and moral.”
“Now, let us work together — to build a Three-Zero World,” the Chief Adviser added.
Putting emphasis on imagination and innovation, Professor Yunus said, “The pillars of this forum — Youth, Science, Investment — are not slogans. They are the tools we need to transform our food systems and our societies.”
Noting that today’s world has resources and technology, he said, “It will have more mind-boggling technology coming every day. But we need the creative ideas to use this technology with appropriate business format to create a new world. If we can imagine it, we can create it.”
However, at the onset of his speech, Professor Yunus said eighty years of FAO is not just a celebration, it is a call to prepare — for the future.
“This year’s theme, ‘Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,’ reminds us: food is not just about calories. It’s about dignity. It’s about justice. It’s about the world we want to live in,” he added.
He also commended FAO’s Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance for Food Security and Peace, of which he is a member, expressing hope that it will continue to create milestones in global food security.
The Chief Adviser, however, recalled Bangladesh’s peaceful people’s movement in 2024, led by youth to reclaim their power to ensure democracy, peace, and human rights for all.
“It was our youth — young people full of courage and hope — who led that movement. Their demand was simple: to give power back to the people. To create a society based on fairness, inclusion, and trust,” he said.
Noting that those young people are engaged in the rebuilding of the institutions in Bangladesh, the Chief Adviser said, “They are shaping a new Bangladesh — one that puts its people at the center of governance. In February, we will hold our national election — and with it, we institutionalize our commitment to justice and people’s power.”
Professor Yunus highlighted Bangladesh’s success in food production, saying the country feeds over 170 million people despite its small land area and also support 1.3 million Rohingyas, who fled under violence in Myanmar.
“We have become self-sufficient in rice — our staple. We are among the world’s top producers of rice, vegetables, and freshwater fish. Our farmers have raised cropping intensity to 214%. We’ve released 133 climate-resilient rice varieties,” he said.
“We’ve mechanized farming, with subsidies of up to 70%. We’ve built a robust food distribution system. We are reducing stunting. We are diversifying diets. We are greening our agriculture—protecting soil, water, and biodiversity,” he continued.