IGAD Ministerial Meeting Endorses Regional Food Safety, Post-Harvest Loss Management Strategy
A high-level IGAD ministerial meeting validated and endorsed the IGAD Regional Food Safety Strategy and Post-Harvest Loss Management Strategy today.
The meeting brought together agricultural ministers and representatives of the IGAD member countries, ambassadors, and FAO representatives, among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture Minister Girma Amente said the endorsement of the strategy is a key step for the region.
Particularly, the strategy would be imperative in developing and implementing solutions in food losses and waste at various levels and to strengthen food safety systems in the IGAD region.
According to him, those steps are consistent with the 2014 Malabo Declaration to reduce the current levels of Post-Harvest Loss Management by 50 percent by 2025, and also in alignment with SDG-2 to end hunger by 2030. “The regional food safety strategy for which we have come together to validate will hopefully provide as well as harmonize framework to implement activities. It is also pivotal to mitigate various food safety and quality problems that negatively impact consumer service and progress towards achieving food and nutrition security.”
The minister noted that unsafe food is negatively affecting consumer sales and the region’s capacity to be competitive both in Africa region and in global agri-food markets.
More importantly, he underscored that regional food security strategy is critical more than ever before since the IGAD region is suffering from a food crisis.
“The regional food security strategy is critical more than ever before to enhance inter-regional trade in agri-food products and moving food from surplus to deficient areas for stabilizing food prices and improving food security in the region.”
Speaking on Ethiopia’s food safety and quality strategy, Girma pointed out that the strategy aligns with its national food and nutrition policy that was endorsed in 2018, and the food and nutrition strategy which identified food safety and quality as one of the pillars endorsed in 2021.
Somalia Agriculture and Irrigation State Minister, Asad Abdirisak Mohamed said on his part that the implementation of IGAD Regional Food Safety Strategy and IGAD Post-Harvest Loss Management Strategy requires cooperation among the countries to tackle food insecurity.
He also stressed the need to adopt a national food security strategy by all IGAD member states as the problem is getting exacerbated from time to time in this part of the world.
“Domestication of this food security strategy will prevent the loss of millions of metric tons of food in all IGAD region countries and can save millions of USD.”
Source: Ethiopian News Agency