Zambia to achieve food security – HH

By Sharon Siame

President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA says Zambia will be food secure in the next 3 years with or without rain.

And President HICHILEMA says his Administration will not lift the disaster emergency status that was declared following the 2024 drought so as to build resilience and ensure food security.

He says the Country also expects the highest agriculture produce this year.

President HICHILEMA says resilience should not be reaction based but on being proactive.

He said this during the official opening of the Third Least Developed Countries -LDCs- Forum in Lusaka today.

President HICHILEMA said that LDCs have a focus to get economies going regardless of the challenges they face.

He said the change in geopolitics should be an opportunity for LDCs to improve their economies and move away from dependency on foreign aid.

President HICHILEMA said there is also need to teach citizens to work hard and move away from dependence.

He said there is need to move resources from consumption to investment.

President HICHILEMA said the Forum is an opportunity for LDCs to rethink and understand that they are capable of trading with developed countries as partners.

And United Nations office of the high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states -UN-OHRLLS- Under Secretary General RABAB FATIMA noted that LDCs contribute only about 3 percent of green house emissions yet they bear the most impact of climate change.

Ms. FATIMA said the debt burden of LDCs has tripled and that debt relief is important for these countries to create the right fiscal policies.

She said climate smart agriculture is key to ensure food security as well as sustainable water management and access to clean renewable energy.

And Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change from Malawi OWEN CHOMANIKA said that LDCs are highly vulnerable to systemic shocks in the economy and environment.

Dr. CHOMANIKA called for urgent scaling up of climate financing to adaptation as 90 percent of financing flows to mitigation.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development from Finland, VILLE TAVIO said that support to LDCs has been the core of its development cooperation.

Mr. TAVIO said that building resilience has been the cornerstone for Finland’s development story and that the purpose of the Forum is to emphasize the need for trade and development.

Speaking at the same event, Finance and National Planning Minister SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE said the forum will enable LDCs find strategies for sustainable development, economic resilience and structural reforms.

Dr. MUSOKOTWANE said the global scene has changed with official development assistance declining, hence the need to build resilience.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, MULAMBO HAIMBE said Zambia is ready to play its part in strengthening multilateral cooperation to address challenges facing the county.

Mr. HAIMBE said that the third LDCs forum will help strengthen ways of increasing resilience.