adminZIMBABWE is one of the six countries that need urgent improvement in access to food and nutrition security information in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) region.
Head of Nutrition department at the New Partnership for Africa Development, Isatou Jallow, said improved access to food and nutrition security information is vital for decision-making in all sectors.
Jallow said during the recent consultative meeting, that it was revealed that the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Lesotho needed to improve access to food and nutrition security information.
Jallow was speaking in Accra, Ghana, on the sidelines of the 12th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform Meeting.
“To this end, NEPAD agency embarked on consultative processes with the six countries on the establishment of a Food and Nutrition Security knowledge-sharing and monitoring platform in Africa.
‘‘The initiative was aimed at improving the strategic use of data and information on Food and Nutrition Security by enhancing knowledge creation and sharing,” she said.
She further said the regional platform is expected to foster evidence-based dialogue and a multi-sectoral approach in information and knowledge sharing among countries and regional stakeholders.
According to the consultation report, the establishment of the platform is a direct response to the Malabo Declaration on accelerated growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods.
The Malabo declaration is an African Union (AU) member states 10-year recommitment to the CAADP and its results framework, for Africa’s agricultural transformation and food security agenda between 2015 and 2025. The declaration and CAADP further emphasises the need for performing systematic mapping, monitoring and evaluation at national and regional levels to establish targets for enhancing food and nutrition security and agriculture and food insecurity management.— Zambia dailymail
Online Reporter