Stop wars, end hunger, ensure food access in conflict zones: Yunus tells global leaders
He called for for breaking the hunger–conflict cycle.
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus today (13 October) urged global leaders to end hunger and wars, proposing six measures to transform the system and ensure global food security amid 2.7 trillion dollars in annual military spending.
"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?," he said while delivering his keynote speech at World Food Forum (WFF) in Rome.
Prof Yunus called for breaking the hunger–conflict cycle — stop the wars, start the dialogue, and ensure food access in conflict zones.
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"Keep the promises — fulfill the SDG finance commitments, take climate action seriously, and help the most vulnerable build resilience," said the chief adviser.
He called for creating regional food banks to manage shocks and stabilise supply chains.
"Create and support local entrepreneurs, particularly youth entrepreneurs — with finance, infrastructure, and global partnerships," Prof Yunus said.
He called for ending export bans and said trade rules must support food security, not undermine it.
"Ensure access to and development of technology and innovation — especially for the Global South, and to the rural youth, both boys and girls," said Prof Yunus while sharing six steps.
The 2025 World Food Forum (WFF) began on 10 October and runs through 17 October, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization at its headquarters.
The theme for the week-long event is 'Hand in Hand for better foods and a better future', and it focuses on three pillars: Global Youth Action, Science and Innovation, and Hand-In-Hand Investment.
The World Food Forum (WFF) is an open and inclusive global platform established by the Youth Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2021 to drive the transformation of agrifood systems through the power of youth, science and innovation, and investment.
It brought together stakeholders of all ages and sectors to turn ideas into action, scale solutions and foster meaningful partnerships that accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO, invited the chief adviser.
"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," Prof Yunus said.
He said Bangladesh is proud to support global cooperation. "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," said the Chief Adviser.
"Now, let us work together — to build a Three-Zero World," he said.
The pillars of this forum — Youth, Science, Investment — are not slogans, Prof Yunus said, adding thst they are the tools they need to transform their food systems and societies.
He said today's world has resources and it has technology. "It will have more mind-boggling technology. 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."
Prof Yunus said last year, people of Bangladesh rose peacefully 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.
Prof Yunus said he is very happy that the Nobel Peace Laureates alliance for Food Security and Peace which was established by FAO in 2016 and of which he is a member has been recognized as an FAO milestone.
"I hope it will continue to create more milestones," Prof Yunus said.
"But let us speak the truth clearly: Hunger is not caused by scarcity. It is caused by the failure of the economic framework that we have designed. In 2024, 673 million people went hungry," the Chief Adviser said.
"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 said.
Prof Yunus said they must go deeper, and rethink the entire economic system.
"The old way —which is based on profit-maximising 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 businesses," he said.
Many social businesses are growing around the world but without policy support and institutional recognition, he said.
"Ultimate objective is to create a 'Three-Zero World': A world with Zero Wealth Concentration to end Poverty; Zero Unemployment, by replacing it with entrepreneurship for all and Zero Net Carbon Emissions," he said.
This is not a dream, Prof Yunus said. "It is a necessity, the only way to save the world."
Prof Yunus said Social business is the way forward. "We've seen its power in Bangladesh. Grameen Bank showed how poor women can be powerful entrepreneurs."
He said they 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 said.
"And this brings me to the most important part: our youth. Today's young people are not like before. They are connected. They are creative. They have technology in their hands that was unthinkable just 20 years ago," he added.
Prof Yunus said, "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, "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."
Prof Yunus said if they invest in youth, they will not only feed the world, they change the world.
