Meet the Team: Ahdi Mohammed, Communications and Partnerships Consultant

Greetings! My name is Ahdi Z. Mohammed. I am a Communications and Partnerships Consultant at FAO North America. After several years of working in a similar role at the UN Environment Programme, I joined FAO in February 2018.

I grew up in the bustling capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, and was interested from an early age in international development. I had always envisioned a better future for my country and its people and saw this as a path to contribute to that goal. However, since development can come at the cost of people and the environment, I chose to focus my undergraduate studies on Sustainable Development that brought me to Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA, where I majored in Environmental Studies. It was this drive that inspired me to study abroad in Costa Rica, and later conduct my thesis on large-scale agricultural investments in Gambella, Ethiopia. The trip to the lush and green region of Gambella was a real eye-opener of the vastness of the country and its incredible potential.

Through my undergraduate and professional career, I have been following the road from Rio+20 to the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Today, we stand a decade away from 2030. While recent studies have shown us that the world is off-track to meet many of the targets of the SDGs, with the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit on the radar and the mark the pandemic has left on us, I am hopeful that we are on a path towards taking the necessary actions to build an equitable, sustainable and resilient future for all. I think that the next decade will bring forth transformational change- one that has been a long time in the making.

There is no denying the powerful role that agriculture plays in driving global economies and nourishing souls and minds. Through the decisions we make on our food systems, we will be able to direct our planet on a path forward! 

I am so pleased to be learning on the job and disseminating the vast knowledge that FAO produces on a daily basis. It truly is a privilege to be working with such incredible, inspiring, and tireless advocates who are working towards a common goal of peace and food for all!

I look forward to building a career that supports sustainable, traditional, and innovative food systems that promote healthy diets, value food workers and protect biodiversity.