Theseus Mauruki Shambare
THE Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has called for increased investment in agricultural research, technology and innovation to ensure proven solutions reach smallholder farmers and communities.
The organisation said innovations should not remain confined to laboratories and pilot projects.
FAO sub-regional coordinator for Southern Africa and Zimbabwe country representative, Dr Patrice Talla Takoukam, said the country needed to accelerate the adoption of practical agricultural innovations to strengthen food production, improve market access and build resilience against climate-related shocks.
In an interview, Dr Talla Takoukam said innovations should translate into tangible improvements in farmers’ livelihoods and the country’s food systems.
“Over the weekend, we held World Food Day commemorations under the theme “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow”, bringing together Government, United Nations agencies, farmers and other stakeholders to reflect on the role of innovation in building sustainable agrifood systems.
“Above all, innovation must improve people’s lives. It must reach the smallholder farmer, the woman producer, the young entrepreneur and communities facing the impacts of climate change. It cannot remain in laboratories or pilot projects,” he said.
FAO said agricultural innovation should also include more efficient and sustainable approaches to production, processing and food distribution.
The organisation identified climate information and early-warning systems, improved water productivity, digital agriculture, mechanisation and value addition among the interventions requiring greater investment and wider adoption.
It also called for stronger collaboration between Government, research institutions, academia, financial institutions, development partners and the private sector to move proven agricultural solutions into wider implementation.
“Government, farmers, researchers, academia, development partners, financial institutions, civil society and the private sector must work together to move proven solutions from innovation to investment, and from investment to impact,” Dr Takoukam said.
Through its Hand-in-Hand initiative, FAO is using data, evidence and geospatial information to identify areas where targeted agricultural investments could deliver the greatest impact and help translate opportunities into bankable projects.
The organisation said Zimbabwe also needed to strengthen investment in irrigation, resilient crop and livestock systems, fisheries, aquaculture and market access to address challenges posed by climate variability, water scarcity, pests, diseases and rising production costs.
Dr Takoukam said digital technologies, mechanisation, processing and value addition could help attract a new generation of entrepreneurs into agriculture.
FAO reaffirmed its commitment to working with Government and other partners to advance food and nutrition security through its Strategic Framework 2022–2031, guided by the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.
