SADC Secretariat, in collaboration with the Southern Africa Trust and the
National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) convened a SADC
Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) Strategy Stakeholders Forum, hosted by
the Government of the Republic of Malawi, in Lilongwe from 9-10 April,
2014.
Held under the theme, “*Empowering Youth and Women for Food and Nutrition
Security”**,* the main objective of the Stakeholders Forum was to provide a
platform for consulting with Member States and key stakeholders and seeking
inputs into the Conceptual Framework of the SADC Food and Nutrition
Security Strategy. Furthermore, the Forum was designed to help identify
priority areas for action for the development of the FNS Strategy which
will be considered at the Joint Ministerial Meeting of SADC Ministers of
Agriculture and Food Security and Ministers of Health at their next meeting
scheduled for June 2014, in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The Stakeholders Forum was officially opened by Malawi’s Deputy Minister of
Agriculture and Food Security, Honourable Bintony Kutsaira. “Food security
is a basic human right. All people, at all times should have physical and
economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. Hence our goal
today, is to collectively, define an agenda to increase food and nutrition
security in the region,” he said.
The stakeholders recommended the identification of interventions with
immediate impact on food and nutrition security, including those that
accelerate food availability, access to food and food utilisation. To this
end, the Forum identified the following:
*Food Availability*: The need for increased food availability through improved
productivity of diverse, safe and nutritious foods; access to credit and
land for agriculture, especially for vulnerable groups such as women, youth
and the disabled.
*Food Access*: The development of market information systems at both
national and regional levels; development of market infrastructure and
promotion of information and communication technology in marketing;
promotion of intra-regional trade; promotion of youth in agri-business
value chains; and promotion of income generating projects.
*Food Utilisation*: The provision of basic water and sanitation facilities;
food fortification; improved cooking skills; change in behaviour and
cultural practices; and improved intra-household allocation, amongst others.
*Food Sustainability*: In order to sustain food and nutrition security, the
forum recommended the inclusion and mainstreaming of all vulnerable groups
in the development and implementation of possible interventions.
They also encouraged the development and implementation of participatory
monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress. The system, however
needs to be supported at high levels in the Member States in order for the
stakeholders to provide timely and reliable data.
This forum was preceded by the SADC Youth Forum which made recommendations
and called upon SADC Member States to mainstream and integrate children and
youth, with special emphasis on women and vulnerable groups, in policies
and programmes of agriculture, food and nutrition security at national and
regional levels.
Both forums are part of the key priorities outlined by the SADC Chairperson
and President of the Republic Malawi, Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, which
include Youth and Women Empowerment; Food and Nutrition Security; and
Poverty Alleviation.
The stakeholders Forum was attended by 60 delegates including officials
from SADC Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, farmers associations
from the region, United Nations agencies, the Health sector and the private
sector.
The delegates expressed gratitude to the government and people of the
Republic of Malawi for their warm reception and kindness extended to them
during the course of the meeting.