Parliamentarians under the ambits of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) have pledged to play a significant role in advocating and lobbying for enabling laws and policies that promote the agenda of food and nutrition security at national, regional, and continental levels.
This came to the fore at the presentation and adoption of a report of the PAP workshop on the African Union (AU) theme of the year for 2022, by the plenary at the ongoing first Ordinary Session of the sixth Parliament in Midrand, South Africa.
The Session has been anchored on the AU theme of 2022 “Building resilience in nutrition on the African Continent: Accelerate the human capital, social and economic development.” The Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, chaired by Hon Didier Molisho Said, was the lead Committee that presented the report of the August 2022 workshop that was adopted.
Steering the debate, Hon Didier Molisho Said in presenting his committee’s report, took note of the fact that Africa has become more dependent on imports of agricultural products from other continents.
“If Africa was self-sufficient, the funds used to import agricultural products could be used for development. Therefore, it is imperative that African Parliamentarians play a critical role in advocating and lobbying for enabling laws and policies that promote the agenda of food and nutrition security at the national, regional, and continental levels. AU Member States should endeavour to develop and prioritise strong country strategies to fight hunger and malnutrition in all its forms in the continent,” Hon Didier Molisho Said alluded.
Speaking at the same occasion, Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO) Sub Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and FAO Representative to the AU, Dr Chimimba David Phiri noted that the AU Theme of the year was very appropriate given that the continent remains off track in eliminating all forms of hunger and malnutrition.
“The AU theme of the year 2022 is well aligned with FAO’s work on nutrition and could not have come at a better time. Africa is grappling with climate extremes, conflict, and an undaunted economic slowdown. Spotlight has been brought to hunger and malnutrition through this theme and AU Member States have to closely interrogate their obligations to be achieved by the year 2025 in the Malabo Commitments and the AU Agenda 2063,” noted Dr Chimimba David Phiri.
During the debate on the report, members of the PAP concurred that the status of nutrition and hunger in Africa needed urgent interventions by Members of Parliament in the form of promotion of the production and consumption of nutritious indigenous foods.
The report that was adopted identifies Members of Parliament as key players in advocacy for more nutrition investments within their respective countries to end hunger and malnutrition. All Member States, national parliaments, and all relevant stakeholders have been urged to celebrate the Africa Day of Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) that falls on 30 October, with the aim to provide a platform for stakeholder dialogue on solutions for addressing food and nutrition security issues while strengthening the momentum towards achieving sustainable development goals and Malabo Declaration key commitments.
The COVID-19 catastrophe that erupted and became a worldwide pandemic was also noted as a factor that has worsened the socioeconomic status of Africa, consequently worsening food insecurity and malnutrition. In Africa, compared with 2019, about 46 million more people were affected by hunger in 2020, in the shadow of the Covid 19 pandemic.
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