ACHIEVING ZERO HUNGER IN ZAMBIA

A small scale farmer displays some of her produce during the 2019 World Food Day commemorations held in Mwembeshi

“It’s not just about getting enough to eat, it’s about having the right food to eat.” These words were part of a speech by the UNICEF Zambia Country representative, Noalar Skinner, during the recent World Food Day commemorations that were held in Mwembeshi.

The 2019 theme – Our Actions are Our Future, Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World - intended to bring awareness on the continued strides needed towards realizing the Zero Hunger Vision that was launched by the United Nations in 2012.

World Food day is a day of action against hunger. Hunger manifests itself in different ways namely: undernourishment, malnutrition and wasting. The 2018 report by the African Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition reveals that 257 million people in Africa are undernourished. Put differently, 257 million people in Africa are hungry and furthermore,

'WOMEN FEED THIS COUNTRY' - PROF. LUO By Natasha Mhango

Fisheries & Livestock Minister, Nkandu Luo and; Chilanga MP Maria Langa undertaking a tour of the Department of Fisheries in Chilanga,Lusaka

Every year on Farmers’ Day - August 8th, the Ministry of Agriculture holds an award-giving ceremony to recognize and honor outstanding farmers from the all the provinces of Zambia. Attending the even in her new capacity as Fisheries and Livestock Minister, Nkandu Luo, made it clear tat women and youth were the key to agricultural transformation.

“Women are the people that feed this country,” Professor Luo said.

Her statement is made credible when one takes into consideration that “In Zambia, women constitute 64 percent of the rural population and approximately 80 percent of food producers,”