Zimbabwe has adopted a new strategy to improve food and nutrition security for its people, especially in the face of the economic and climatic challenges that have increased vulnerability and hunger in the country.
The Cabinet approved the Multi-Sectoral Food and Nutrition Strategy for Zimbabwe (MFNSS) for 2023-2025 on Tuesday, following extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including citizens and development partners.
The strategy aims to achieve accelerated, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and development and promote and ensure adequate food and nutrition security for all Zimbabweans.
According to the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr. Jenfan Muswere, who announced the strategy at a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare, the MFNSS will adopt a multi-sectoral approach that involves collaboration and coordination among key sectors such as agriculture, education, health, and child care, local government, social services, and women and gender.
He said the strategy will operationalize the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1) key result areas related to food and nutrition security, such as policy analysis and advocacy, agriculture and food security, social protection, food safety, quality and standards, nutrition security, food and nutrition information, and enhancing and strengthening capacities.
The strategy will also be aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030.
The MFNSS is expected to have positive impacts such as promoting closer coordination and alignment of actions in the field, ensuring more efficient use of resources, strengthening collaborative action among government sectors, enhancing monitoring of the implementation of food and nutrition strategies, and reducing food insecurity and malnutrition.
The strategy is also designed to build food and nutrition resilience for communities, improve livelihoods, foster development, and increase productivity and economic growth as the country strives to attain Vision 2030 of becoming an upper-middle-income society.
Zimbabwe has been facing recurrent food crises due to droughts, floods, pests, diseases, economic instability, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the latest Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) report, about 5.5 million people in rural areas and 2.4 million people in urban areas are projected to be food insecure during the peak hunger period of January to March 2023.
The government has been working with various partners such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, and other humanitarian agencies to provide food assistance and livelihood support to the most vulnerable households.
The MFNSS is a welcome development demonstrating the government’s commitment to addressing the root causes of hunger and malnutrition in Zimbabwe. It also offers an opportunity for enhanced partnership and collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure that no one is left behind in achieving food and nutrition security.
Source: The Herald
