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| 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.
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| 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.
