Support for sustainable food security a priority

To consolidate Zambia's recovery from last year's widespread crop failures, the UN Resident Coordinator has highlighted the need for new initiatives to help the country achieve sustainable food security. The latest World Food Programme and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Crop and Food Supply Assessment mission found that gains made in food production in Zambia and the region in general were "limited and very fragile". [More on the assessment mission] The UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia, Olubanke King-Akerele, said in her latest situation report "donors in Zambia believe that sustainability for food security has not been achieved and that the CAP [UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal] should focus on this aspect". The Southern Africa CAP is due to be launched in July. King-Akerele said the Zambian delegation to recent talks between aid agencies and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had advocated donor support for: research into drought resistant plants and crops; eradication of animal diseases and assistance to ongoing veterinary programmes; development of coping mechanisms for communities in times of crisis, such as the production of cash crops (paprika, cotton, castor oil, tobacco), fish farming and handicrafts. The report noted that "most people in Zambia met their energy requirements through various food sources" between March 2002 and April 2003. The government has banned maize imports due to the improved harvest this year. "The situation is expected to remain as such, in view of the increased cereal production for 2002/03 season and a good input subsidy programme for small-scale farmers," the report added. The subsidy programme for small-scale farmers was part of the government's response to the food security crisis. The government had "learnt from the persistent drought that Zambia should not solely depend on rain-fed agriculture". However, pockets of need still remain in Zambia. Some areas in the West and Southern provinces were cause for concern, "with the worst-affected areas [being] in the Zambezi valley". It was estimated that in six districts - Chama, Itezi, Kazungula, Lwangwa, Monze and Sinazongwe - about 60,000 people would need targeted relief food "which must be distributed commensurate with the existing cereal gap in each district". "Forty thousand more could join them from four districts where there is a possibility of need - Gwembe, Kalabo, Shangombo and Zambezi. HIV/AIDS would increase the total number of people in need of food aid to 120,000," the resident coordinator reported.