Zambia discusses achieving food security

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has urged for a comprehensive strategy to ensure the nation’s food security.

According to Mr. Hichilema, indigenous farming practices have been addressed in an effort to boost food production and achieve food security.

President Hichilema stated during the first session of the Earthna Summit in Doha, Qatar, that policies to assist achieve food security are being explored.

“We discussed how to leverage our indigenous knowledge and heritage of traditional farming methods into agriculture policies in order to increase food productivity and achieve food security. We argued that smallholder farmers should be considered when addressing food security,” he said.

He noted that it was good to learn how President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone is tackling food security in his country.

“Equally, Right Honourable Baroness Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth Secretary General, gave an impassioned account of how the 56 nations of the Commonwealth face food insecurity because of climate change. If we do not have food security then we court instability at national, regional, and global level. This calls for  a holistic approach if food security is to be reached and a sustainable, lasting peace achieved,” he said.