FAO conference in Vic Falls

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

ZIMBABWE will later this month host another high-level Regional Conference for Africa (ARC) organised by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to discuss science-based solutions to tackle agricultural and environmental challenges.

The conference will come after Zimbabwe successfully hosted the sixth session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (AFRFSD) last week. President Mnangagwa, who officiated at the just-ended forum will once again be the guest of honour at the 31st session of the summit to be held at Elephant Hills from 23 to 27 March.

Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Vangelis Haritatos said Ministers of Agriculture from the continent will attend the forum which will also be graced by FAO director-general Mr QU Dongyu and top officials from the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB).

Deputy Minister Haritatos said the forum will tackle issues around bio-diversity, climate change, agriculture and food insecurity.

FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to fight hunger. It was founded in 1945 and works in over 130 countries where it seeks to achieve food security and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active and healthy lives. It helps in implementing food security, gender equality, intervention strategies through striking of partnerships that will help in irrigation, mechanisation and policy interventions towards food security and sustainability in member countries.

“Within the next month we will be hosting the regional FAO conference where the entire Africa will be coming. Ministers of Agriculture will be attending and we are very excited as a country to be chosen as a host taking over from Sudan, hence we say this is our time to shine for the next two years as chair,” said Deputy Minister Haritatos.

He said the Government has a good working relationship with FAO. The Deputy Minister said the meeting will feed into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help push forward the country’s programmes for sustainable agriculture. The Sustainable Development Goals are: No poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation, and infrastructure, reducing inequality, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life with water, life on land, peace, justice, and strong institutions as well as partnerships for the goals.

He said his ministry is in charge of six SDGs, which are no poverty (SDG1), zero hunger (2), gender equality (5), clean water and sanitation (6), decent work and economic growth (8) and climate action (13). 

“This session of Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development has been talking about food security, sustainability, agriculture at large, climate smart agriculture and it is important to note that basically what we are implementing as a Government is in line with the SDGs and they will be discussed at the forthcoming FAO conference. It’s quite a high-level delegation that will be attending and the two main speakers will be President Mnangagwa and director-general of FAO.

“As Africa we are moving forward but we are not on track as it should be. Our ministry in particular is in charge of the six SDGs hence we have to push stronger so we can address issues of hunger and gender inequalities among others if we are to meet our 2030 target which is around the corner,” he said.

Some of the Government agricultural programmes aimed at improving agriculture are irrigation and mechanisation which are supported by policy frameworks such as Command Agriculture, National Agriculture Policy Framework and Zimbabwe Agriculture Investment Policy. 

“So we need to implement very quickly and we believe this conference will also help in that regard.”

@ncubeleon