HOMEGROWN SOLUTIONS: ENHANCING THE RIGHT TO FOOD THROUGH LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS

The Food and Agriculture Organization hosted a food expo to raise awareness on Right to Food

This year’s World Food Day commemorations were held under the theme Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future. This theme shone the spotlight on the basic human right to adequate food.

For Zambia, this theme calls attention to access to the recent drought-induced food crisis in which 5.3 million people were threatened with hunger and malnutrition. The recent drought was declared a disaster after 8 of the country’s 10 provinces experienced severe rainfall deficit and consequently reduced the national crop production.

For farmers in rural communities who depend predominantly on agriculture, their quest for food security begins at home and thus the prolonged drought has implied that ensuring their food nutrition security has been a struggle. Part of this struggle stems from the mind-set that only maize constitutes food. And thus, the nutritional potential of many indigenous foods is overlooked.

One pillar of the right to food requires freedom from hunger in the event of disaster and thus, this was a key message at the recently held World Food Day commemorations that were held in Lusaka.

The event was graced by her Honour, the Republican Vice President – Mrs Mutale Nalumango who echoed the government’s commitment towards ensuring all people had access to adequate and nutritious food.

The commemorations that are annually sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization country office, were this year marked by a food expo at which various nutritious indigenous foods from all the 10 provinces of Zambia were exhibited through traditional and contemporary creative recipes or simple preservation techniques.

Vice President Nalumango said that she observed that though local foods did not perform well as a result of the drought that country recently suffered, there was still need to promote indigenous seed which were usually resilient to harsh climatic conditions.

Republican Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, graced the event and sampling various local foods being exhibited

Indigenous seed are an integral part of local food systems as they are climate resilient, and are a key avenue through which local food systems can be strengthened and consequently, household food and nutrition security can be improved.

Thus, promoting local foods which are easily accessible, available and in most cases affordable can fulfil efforts to ensure the right to adequate foods while preserving traditional cultures.

In this regard, vulnerable communities should be encouraged to take advantage of fresh, seasonal local vegetables and fruits daily while on the production side, farmers need to integrate agroforestry for soil fertility, moisture retention and environmental protection. Furthermore, they should scale up the growing of more legumes such as soya beans, cowpeas, groundnuts and pigeon peas for an assured nutritious and protein-rich diet.

This World Food Day theme calls for action to protect food systems from the challenges that come with climate change. In the case of Zambia, the commemorations echoed the benefits of local food preservation techniques coupled with the nutritive value that can be assured from accessible and affordable indigenous foods.

Environmental activist who also happens to be Miss Earth International, Kena Chibuye, has first-hand experience with access to food having worked as a primary school teach in Luapula – one of the country’s provinces with the highest malnutrition rates in Zambia.

Kena Chibuye(right) has a keen interest in local seed

Kena shared how she observed that because of the school feeding programmes in rural schools, pupils were motivated to go to class because of the assurance of a meal. To her, that motivation was evidence enough that there is a deficiency of food in their homes and they need to go to school to access it.

In recognizing such realities, it is imperative to translate awareness into actions that can support sustainable food production to empower rural communities that are the most affected by hunger.

As the world struggles to produce food amidst climate change, this World Food Day is a reminder to take a collective responsibility towards ensuring that we build a world where access to food is not a privilege but a right.

In so doing, embracing Sustainable Intensification Practices in all agricultural activities for better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life; Leave No One Behind, is the way to go.

 

 

 

 

MEET DOROTHY MAKINA : A CHAMPION OF CLIMATE CHANGE FROM SENANGA,WESTERN PROVINCE

Dorothy Makina is willing to learn more about 
making her farming climate resilient

Like farmers all around the Zambia, those in Western province are aware of the consequences that the prolonged drought will have on their household incomes and nutrition. Just by looking at some of the stretches of dry crop fields that line the roads leading to the countryside it is easy to believe that most small-scale farmers will not harvest much.

It is for this reason that farmers are being compelled to take up proactive interventions to ensure that they have enough food to last them until the next farming season.

Dorothy Makina from Senanga district of Western  province can be described as one of the resourceful farmers in the district. She has a flock of 80 goats, she also rears chickens and owns a few cattle too. Every farming season she normally cultivates 6 hectares of her land with maize for consumption and for sale.

As expected from the prolonged drought, however, her entire maize crop failed.

SHARING DATA KEY TO ACCURATE REPORTING ON MALABO COMMITMENTS

The participants at the Knowledge Managment training workshop
on Data Capture &; Monitoring/Reporting on Malabo Commitments

By Natasha Mhango

The commitments of the 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agriculture Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods, come to an end in 2025 which is literally next year. The Malabo Commitments, as they are usually referred to, were the product of a 2014 African Union Heads of State meeting in which member states committed to fostering agriculture -led development in order to reduce poverty and end hunger in Africa by 2025.

This targeted approach saw various African countries also commit to allocating 10% of their public expenditures towards financing agriculture, boosting intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and services; as well as ensuring regular a biennial review process to track and monitor the progress being made.https://www.resakss.org/sites/default/files/Malabo%20Declaration%20on%20Agriculture_2014_11%2026-.pdf

While a significant number of signatories to the Commitments are not on track in achieving some of the set targets, they have however made significant progress in the right direction.

During a recently held training workshop on Knowledge Management and Monitoring /Reporting of Malabo Commitments that was held in Chisamba, Zambia,

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF THE PROLONGED DROUGHT ON ANIMAL HEALTH

 

Some cattle licking at a dry borehole to try and quench their thirst

Much is being said about the impact of the southern regions’ prolonged drought on the crop sector and its consequential effect on the availability of food for human beings. However, a silent struggle that the livestock sub-sector is likely to face as a result of the drought equally needs attention.

In Zambia, the prolonged drought has catalysed the already fast depleting grazing lands for livestock. Whereas grazing lands would usually dry up around the month of June, this year’s poor rainfall has entailed that livestock farmers are being burdened with the need to supplement their animals’ nutrition much earlier than usual.

Inadequate grazing is also a hazardous opportunity for the outbreak of livestock diseases stemming from starvation.

E-SLIP FACILITATES A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

 

Grazing areas are fast depleting and deforestation has adversely 
affected the already low rainfall pattern of Chirundu

As the effects of climate change continue to reveal themselves in the livestock sector, rural farmers are being compelled to make aggressive efforts towards enhancing their resilience and ultimately protect their livelihoods.

In valley areas such as Chirundu, a grim scenario exists which continues to hinder farmers’ capacity to grow their livestock population most especially cattle.

The Enhanced Smallholder Livestock Investment Programme is a government intervention under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. The Programme which is jointly financed with the International Fund for Agriculture Development(IFAD) aims to improve the sustainable production and productivity of rural livestock farmers. One of E-SLIP’s interventions has been facilitating the revamping of existing rangelands through over sowing of forage and pasture so as to enhance available grazing areas for livestock among other things.

E-SLIP has been facilitating the over sowing of 35 rangelands around the country through the establishment of Rangeland Management Committees that are comprised of farmers who are located in areas that are directly dependent on the rangelands.

Headmen in Chirundu take action against indiscriminate tree cutting

 

Roy Habasimbe - a headmans of Sikoongo area

Chirundu district is renowned for its high temperatures and low rainfall. But this scenario has been exacerbated by climate change and is bordering on becoming unbearable for both human and livestock if no interventions are made.

The District experienced only one month of rainfall during the 2022/2023 rain season and boreholes around the district are already drying up.

Livestock can be seem roaming in search of food and water; and farmers in the district have every right to be disturbed by what they are observing.

Roy Habasimbe is a farmer and village headman in an area called Sikoongo. He explained that in the last 7 years, he has observed a significant reduction in rainfall in the area.

“In 2019, our cattle were even dying of dehydration,” he lamented.

HEAD WOMAN JUSTINA PHIRI - AN ADVOCATE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE

Justina Phiri has been headwoman in Mumbulumba 

village for 15 years

Women in leadership positions in rural areas remains a wonder to see but their contributions to their communities often go un-acknowledged. This is because the increase in patriarchal attitudes disguised as cultural norms hinders women’s participation in leadership roles in rural areas.

Mumbuluma village is located in Luangwa district of Eastern province in Zambia. The area has 12 village headwomen and only 4 headmen. These women are also advocates for climate change interventions that their area is in dire need of. 

59-year-old Justina Phiri has been a headwoman in the area for the past 15 years. She explained that indiscriminate tree cutting for charcoal has led communities to observe the reduction of rainfall over the years and hence the need to conserve the environment was finally being taken seriously by rural communities.