admin
Lesego Valela and Mandaza Chikarango
Civil society organisations working with small-scale farmers in Africa have urged Zimbabweans to shun foodstuffs that contain chemicals and embrace the consumption of traditional foods which have a variety of nutrients.
This was said by officials from the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) and Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) who are currently in the country conducting workshops with farmers.
PELUM is a network of civil society organisations working with small-scale farmers in East, Central, and Southern Africa.
AFSA brings together small-scale farmers, pastoralists, fish farmers, indigenous people, faith communities, consumers, women and young people from across Africa to create a united and loud voice for food security.
Speaking at the PELUM workshop held in Harare yesterday, the chairman of AFSA, Mr John Wilson said African solutions are required to address the continent’s food problems.
“To eat healthily, we need to base our diet on a traditional diet, it is not that we are going backward but we are moving forward. We need to find solutions on food insecurity, malnutrition, and dangers posed by the use of chemicals and misguided approaches such as biofortification,” he said.
He also said Africa’s crops are resilient as they contain a variety of nutrients which is a solution to some of the health challenges.
Mr Wilson further said that Africa should wake up and start celebrating the rich diversity in their cultures, languages, fashion and food.
Also speaking at the same event PELUM communications officer, Mr Collins Chirinda said the campaign is primarily to conscientise Africans on the importance of traditional foods and their consumption.
“The significance of the My food is African campaign is to empower African farmers to produce healthy nutritious foods for sustainable food systems,” he said.
One of the facilitators Ms Shirley Chingoka said it is important for people to take traditional food seriously.
“It is important to go back to basics and ensure that people have a huge uptake of traditional foodstuffs that do not have side effects and growth hormones and chemicals,” she said.
The two-day workshop ended yesterday.
Online Reporter