As Ethiopia hosts the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Addis Ababa, a youth-driven poultry initiative is reshaping food access and employment in the country, according to Reuters.

At the outskirts of Addis Ababa, in Sheger City, groups of young people are offering a local response to rising food prices by establishing small-scale chicken farms with support from the local government.

They are selling eggs and live chickens at lower prices than the traditional markets—reducing the price to half.

The initiative is part of a broader government effort to boost domestic food production. Launched in 2024, it now includes 20 youth associations in the locality alone.

Senbet Lemi, a local job creation officer, told Reuters that the initiative addresses both food affordability and youth unemployment. “We’ve been able to produce chicken and eggs in mass by organizing our unemployed youths. There are about 20 youth associations in this locality alone. These associations provide the community chicken and eggs at a very low price, especially to the residents of this area and at exhibitions and bazaars during the festive season.”

The initiative can be among the grassroots solutions the UN Food Systems Summit aims to spotlight. The model appears to be working, offering relief for families facing high food prices and providing young people a sustainable source of income.