Harare (New Ziana) – The World Food Programme (WFP) on Tuesday commended Zimbabwe’s progress in ensuring food security.
Zimbabwe has for the past three years been able to produce enough cereals to ensure food security at national and household levels through development of irrigation schemes, and strong, consistent input and financial support to farmers.
Speaking at a signing ceremony of a letter of understanding between the WFP and the Zimbabwe government, the UN agency’s representative and country director, Francesca Erdelmann said Zimbabwe’s achievement was even more commendable given it was attained against the backdrop of setbacks and complex climatic and economic challenges experienced in the country in recent years.
The letter of understanding operationalises the WFP’s Strategic Plan for Zimbabwe for the period 2022/26.
“While the country celebrates the availability of adequate cereal stocks to meet the overall national requirements, we also acknowledge that many poor households struggle to meet their food needs,” said Erdelmann.
“SDG 2, Zero Hunger, still needs our concerted efforts if we are to achieve it by 2030. WFP’s new country strategic plan represents our contribution to the achievement of NDS1 and our commitment to harness the energies of Zimbabweans to pursue their dreams and aspirations.”
She said the strategic plan is grounded in the NDS1 and global commitments to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its associated sustainable development goals with the roadmap that the government and WFP formalized.
This is expected to contribute to sustainable solutions for food and nutrition security and to assist vulnerable people to pursue their life and livelihood aspirations.
Erdelmann said Zimbabwe was making great strides in establishing and consolidating reliable and dependable social and humanitarian assistance programmes.
In collaboration with WFP, it has built national systems, tools and guideline for the delivery of food and cash assistance to the vulnerable rural, urban and refugee population in addition to assisting the same people to build resilient livelihoods to reduce their dependence on social assistance.
Government and the WFP were also working together to strengthen emergency preparedness and response, including through joint risk and impact assessments, the deployment of social assistance programmes to address emergency needs and through enhanced logistical infrastructure and capacities.
“Working with local authorities, we invest in improved urban and rural infrastructure which provides the foundation for building innovative livelihood opportunities. Since we started this work in 2012, more than 1.2 million people in 30 rural districts have benefited from productive assets such as dams, irrigation systems, roads, dip tanks, and storage facilities as well as community nutrition and market gardens,” Erdelmann said.
“Increasingly these efforts also include the introduction of renewable energy and enhanced water management.”
In cities, the government and the WFP have introduced alternative income earning livelihood options that contribute to improving local food systems such as mushroom farming, hydroponic vegetable production, rabbit and poultry rearing and peanut butter production coupled with vocational, digital and business development, establishment of loans and savings groups benefiting mostly women and youths.
Rural resilience efforts were scaled up through the removal of barriers to profitable agricultural entrepreneurship, climate smart and nutrition sensitive farming techniques, connecting farmers to markets and improving their business skills and financial literacy.
“Strengthening food supply relations between farmers and local schools and hospitals, together with our education and health ministry counterparts, also offers benefits for both buyers and sellers as well as for the nutritional wellbeing of learners and patients,” Erdelmann said.
New Ziana
