At the today's UN summit in Addis Ababa on food systems, Italy, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reframed food insecurity as a geopolitical security issue intertwined with conflict, migration, and instability. At the same time, the Italian PM Meloni held bilateral talks with Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed, Kenya’s William Ruto, and AU Commission Chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, a deliberate strategy deepening Italy’s footprint in the Horn of Africa
Decoding the news. Italy recognises the strategic importance of food security. It reaffirms its commitment under the Mattei Plan to support agricultural, health, energy, and infrastructure projects in Africa, deepening ties through practical cooperation.
- Food is not merely humanitarian relief but a tool of sovereignty, development, and resilience.
- Italy promotes export pathways for African geographic-indication products to global markets, empowering small farmers and integrating them into viable supply chains
What’s on the table? The summit elevated food diplomacy to strategic diplomacy, underlining Italy’sapproach
- According to italian government, resilient, high-quality food systems strengthen sovereignty and reduce the destabilising effects
- Through the Mattei Plan, Italy is investing in agriculture, water, and healthcare infrastructure across Senegal, Ghana, Congo, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, and Tunisia, leveraging national agroindustrial strengths in alignment with the EU’s Global Gateway
The geopolitical factor. Italy’s summit diplomacy is redefining its role in the Horn of Africa—from external donor to strategic partner. Italy turns domestic understanding into continental leverage by embedding food, health, infrastructure, and investment into high-level alliances.
- Amplifying its diplomatic influence in a pivot zone, with ramifications for migration, energy transit, and regional security, Italy shows that the Horn is no longer a geopolitical outskirt
- The Mattei Plan emerges as Italy’s signature instrument for shaping African cooperation aligned with the EU strategy.
