Yunus says February election will institutionalise people’s power

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has said the interim government’s commitment to justice and people’s power will be institutionalised through the parliamentary polls, slated for February.

In his keynote address at the World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event in Rome on Monday, he said the youth are now engaged in building a new Bangladesh where the people are at the centre of governance, reported state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

These young people, filled with courage and hope, fought for democracy, peace, and human rights, he said, adding that their demand was for power to be returned to the people and for society to be built on the foundation of justice, inclusion, and trust.

Yunus called for a complete overhaul of the global food and economic systems and put forward a six-point proposal to build a hunger-free world.

Yunus said, “Hunger is not caused by scarcity; it is a failure of the economic structure we have created. We must change this system.”

In his six-point proposal, he 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, fulfil the SDG finance commitments, take climate action seriously, and help the most vulnerable build resilience.

Thirdly, create regional food banks to manage shocks and stabilise supply chains, he said.

In his fourth proposal, he said young agricultural entrepreneurs and local businesses must be supported through finance, infrastructure, and global partnerships.

For the fifth, he called for the withdrawal of export bans, saying trade rules must support food security, not undermine it.

Yunus emphasised ensuring opportunities in technology and innovation as his sixth proposal, particularly for young farmers and entrepreneurs in the Global South.

“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.

“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.

The chief advisor stressed going deeper for systematic change, saying: “We must 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 and 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, Yunus 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, alongside legal and financial frameworks to support this kind of entrepreneurship,” he emphasised.

Turning to the role of youth, the Nobel laureate said: “Today’s youths are connected. They are creative. They have technology in their hands that was 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,” he added.

He highlighted Bangladesh’s role in supporting global cooperation, noting its membership in 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.”

Putting emphasis on imagination and innovation, he 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, Yunus said eighty years of FAO is not just a celebration, it is a call to prepare for the future.

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.