The World Food Programme governing Executive Board has approved a five-year, US$76 million Country Strategic Plan to significantly boost food security in Zambia, which has one of the world’s highest malnutrition rates.
The 2019-2024 Country Strategic Plan, endorsed last week at the Board’s annual meeting in Rome, Italy, will formally come into effect on 1st July, and seeks, among other things, to better address the root causes of malnutrition, improve responses to crises and shocks, including those caused by climate change.
The Plan further seeks to build the capacities and resilience of smallholder farmers and strengthen government-run social protection systems.More than half of Zambians live below the poverty datum line, surviving on less than 1dollar 90 cents a day while almost half are unable to meet their minimum caloric requirements and 40% of children under five are stunted.
Drought and flooding induced by climate change have cost the economy an estimated US$13.8 billion in losses over the past 30 years.
Through the process of rigorous consultation with the government, donors and others, the CSP will see a strategic shift in WFP’s support from localised, micro-level schemes to holistic, integrated programmes that tap the comparative advantages of state institutions, development partners, civil society, the private sector, farmers, consumers and other key stakeholders to achieve national impact.
According to a statement issued by the World Food programme in Zambia, the Plan is closely aligned with the 7th National Development Plan and Vision 2030.
While noting that investments in food security in recent years has yielded positive results, including bumper harvests and shorter lean seasons, Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo told the WFP Board that a lot still needs to be done to ensure that all Zambians, including women and children, have access to adequate nutritious food.Mr. Katambo also commended the CSP’s transformative approach by promoting a shift towards nationally-owned solutions.
Jennifer Bitonde, WFP Zambia Representative, cited the strategic objectives of the CSP, aimed at facilitating the provision of immediate food needs to refugees; improving and expanding government nutrition programmes; strengthening the livelihood resilience of smallholders and bolstering the capacities of national systems to deliver social protection, including school meals.
WFP has worked in Zambia for more than 50 years and in 2018, it directly assisted 270,000 people, including schoolchildren, smallholders and refugees, and indirectly supported 640,000 households that received social cash transfers.
The United Nations World Food Programme – saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.
I can’t get my head round this. One season’s drought should not have to give us food problems considering the years of favourable food harvest.
Zambian culture may be in conflict with what we are trying to achieve. The era of small scale farmers using family labour ought to come to an end and be replaced with production cooperatives where many families pool their labour and other resources. But mistrust and governance problems among our people will always put paid to such efforts.How long has the UN and its agencies been involved with Zambian agriculture but with the same dysmal results? Up to now there is not a single successful cooperative in the whole of Zambia which has outlived the founders. And yet the UN cannot recognise this problem and continues to pour in resources.
Its all in our heads. We keep doing the same things every year and different results. If we switched places with Japanese citizens Zambia will develop quickly and Japan will be in ruins.
I feel ashamed that we should be in this position as a nation. Its very unfortunate that after 50yrs, we should still be going round with a begging bowl.
“WFP has worked in Zambia for 50 years”
I think the above statement speaks for itself.
This is very fine and we must give credit where it is due. Thank you USAID. I have never seen such a grant given to Zambia on free basis from China. All what we get from China is always debts and sending of Chinese to be controller of taking back the money through Chinese Contracts.
The other problem is while we are empowered by USA where farming is concerned, our Leadership makes Zambians markets difficulty by allowing all the supper markets flatted with foreign food products like Tomatoes, Cabbage etc and where do you expect your own people to sell their farm produce?
Very good comment.
If WFP in in your country, you should be ashamed! It means you cannot feed yourself….nsoni zili ku?
Make sure to keep Evil servants and long fingered PF officials from this money