SADC agriculture ministers discuss strategy
Climate, pests and supply-chain disruptions
SADC should scale up efforts to increase food production as the region is confronted with unprecedented challenges.
Ministers responsible for agriculture and food security, fisheries and aquaculture from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met last week in Malawi to discuss strategy, following the major challenges these sectors have been faced with.
The meeting was attended by 14 member states, namely Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The objective of the meeting was to consider and review implementation of policies and strategies aimed at advancing the agriculture and food and nutrition security, fisheries and aquaculture production and productivity in the region.
According to a statement issued at the meeting, it took place against the backdrop of excess rains, which caused heavy flooding in some parts of the region, cyclones and drought in others, outbreaks of transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases.
It also took into account the major disruptions to supply chains and services due to the Covid-19 pandemic, rising inflation and record public debt that is constraining many countries’ ability to address the current socio-economic challenges and also the global food insecurity situation caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The chairperson of the meeting and agriculture minister of Malawi, Lobin Lowe, commended SADC member states for working diligently during these trying times to implement a wide number of recommendations supporting the SADC agricultural efficiencies, including the 2021/2022 Synthesis Report on the State of Food and Nutrition Security and Vulnerability in the SADC Region.
SADC's deputy executive secretary for regional integration, Dr Thembinkosi Mhlongo, underscored the need for SADC member states to dig deeper in finding lasting solutions in achieving better gains in the agricultural space as this sector is pivotal in the region’s socio-economic growth and a major catalyst in alleviation of poverty as well as hunger reduction.
“SADC should scale up efforts to increase production as the region is confronted with unprecedented challenges which have had negative global impacts from, among others, the raging war in eastern Europe which has affected availability of agricultural supplies, including cereals and agro inputs.”
Mhlongo further said that although the SADC region has made progress in mitigating against impacts of climate change, it was important to continue nurturing the environment, especially in the agriculture sector to limit its contribution to global warming thereby reducing environmental degradation, including the degradation of other natural resources such fisheries and aquaculture.
Ministers noted the challenges constantly posed by reoccurring transboundary plant pests and animal diseases which continue to affect the production of food crops and urged Member States to strengthen plant and animal pest and disease management and also prepare for disease outbreaks particularly the African Swine Fever (ASF) and two novel Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) virus serotypes (O and A).
They urged member states to mainstream and implement the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Mainstreaming Guidelines for the Agriculture Sector, which includes practising of environmentally friendly and green agriculture production.
Ministers urged member states to fully implement actions approved at the UN Food Systems Summit which transforms the way the world produces and consumes food as a turning point in achieving and helping deliver progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
They called for strengthening of intersectoral collaboration on investment projects using the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Framework and mobilisation of resources to support capacity building for member states to implement the WEF Nexus concept in project planning and preparation.
According to the statement ministers approved the report on implementation of the Protocol on Fisheries which provides updated information on the extent to which Member States had implemented the Protocol and highlighting success stories where meaningful progress had been made. They also urged Member States that have not yet acceded to the Protocol on Fisheries (2001) to do so.
The meeting was attended by 14 member states, namely Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The objective of the meeting was to consider and review implementation of policies and strategies aimed at advancing the agriculture and food and nutrition security, fisheries and aquaculture production and productivity in the region.
According to a statement issued at the meeting, it took place against the backdrop of excess rains, which caused heavy flooding in some parts of the region, cyclones and drought in others, outbreaks of transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases.
It also took into account the major disruptions to supply chains and services due to the Covid-19 pandemic, rising inflation and record public debt that is constraining many countries’ ability to address the current socio-economic challenges and also the global food insecurity situation caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The chairperson of the meeting and agriculture minister of Malawi, Lobin Lowe, commended SADC member states for working diligently during these trying times to implement a wide number of recommendations supporting the SADC agricultural efficiencies, including the 2021/2022 Synthesis Report on the State of Food and Nutrition Security and Vulnerability in the SADC Region.
SADC's deputy executive secretary for regional integration, Dr Thembinkosi Mhlongo, underscored the need for SADC member states to dig deeper in finding lasting solutions in achieving better gains in the agricultural space as this sector is pivotal in the region’s socio-economic growth and a major catalyst in alleviation of poverty as well as hunger reduction.
“SADC should scale up efforts to increase production as the region is confronted with unprecedented challenges which have had negative global impacts from, among others, the raging war in eastern Europe which has affected availability of agricultural supplies, including cereals and agro inputs.”
Mhlongo further said that although the SADC region has made progress in mitigating against impacts of climate change, it was important to continue nurturing the environment, especially in the agriculture sector to limit its contribution to global warming thereby reducing environmental degradation, including the degradation of other natural resources such fisheries and aquaculture.
Ministers noted the challenges constantly posed by reoccurring transboundary plant pests and animal diseases which continue to affect the production of food crops and urged Member States to strengthen plant and animal pest and disease management and also prepare for disease outbreaks particularly the African Swine Fever (ASF) and two novel Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) virus serotypes (O and A).
They urged member states to mainstream and implement the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Mainstreaming Guidelines for the Agriculture Sector, which includes practising of environmentally friendly and green agriculture production.
Ministers urged member states to fully implement actions approved at the UN Food Systems Summit which transforms the way the world produces and consumes food as a turning point in achieving and helping deliver progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
They called for strengthening of intersectoral collaboration on investment projects using the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Framework and mobilisation of resources to support capacity building for member states to implement the WEF Nexus concept in project planning and preparation.
According to the statement ministers approved the report on implementation of the Protocol on Fisheries which provides updated information on the extent to which Member States had implemented the Protocol and highlighting success stories where meaningful progress had been made. They also urged Member States that have not yet acceded to the Protocol on Fisheries (2001) to do so.
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