Government adopts  strategy to ensure food security for all Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting services Dr Jenfan Muswere

Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

GOVERNMENT has adopted a two-year multi-sectoral food and nutrition strategy whose aim is to ensure national food and nutrition security for all citizens through an inter-ministerial broad-based approach.

Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who chairs the Cabinet Committee on Food Security and Nutrition, presented the Multi-Sectoral Food and Nutrition Security Strategy for Zimbabwe (MFNSS) (2023-2025) during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting leading to its adoption.

In his post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said the policy is aimed at enforcing a collaborated approach on issues to do with national food security.

“The nation is being informed that the Multi-Sectoral Food and Nutrition Security Strategy for Zimbabwe (MFNSS) (2023 – 2025) seeks to achieve accelerated, high, inclusive, broad-based and sustainable economic growth as well as socio-economic transformation and development. It also aims to promote and ensure adequate food and nutrition security for all the people in Zimbabwe,” he said.

“The strategy is a culmination of wide and extensive consultations with stakeholders inclusive of citizens and cooperating partners.”

Dr Muswere said the policy will ensure partnerships and coordination among key sectors which include agriculture; education; health and child care; local Government; social services; and women and gender.

He said the strategy is in sync with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

“The coordination mechanism will assist in the development, implementation, and monitoring of comprehensive sector strategies while creating an enabling environment for the realisation of food and nutrition security at individual, household, community, and national level,” said Dr Muswere.

“The strategy will operationalise the following NDS 1 key result areas: policy analysis and advocacy; agriculture and food security; social protection; food safety, quality and standards; nutrition security; food and nutrition information; as well as enhancing and strengthening capacities for food and nutrition security”.

Dr Muswere said Government will decentralise the implementation of the strategy to get optimum results.

The minister said the local development councils will play a critical role in coordinating the implementation of the strategy, while the lead sectors will be fully accountable for the attainment of the set goals.

“The MFNSS is envisaged to achieve the following impacts: promotion of closer coordination and alignment of actions in the field and more efficient use of resources; strengthening collaborative action among Government sectors; efficient monitoring of the implementation of food and nutrition strategies; and the effective reduction of food insecurity and malnutrition,” he said.

Dr Muswere said the strategy is designed to build food and nutrition resilience for communities, culminating in improved livelihoods, development, productivity, and economic growth as the country inches towards an upper middle income economy by 2030. — @nqotshili

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