• Zambia has felt the impact of rising food and commodity prices resulting from the shocks and uncertainties in the global supply chains of essential commodities.
• According to statistics, over 140 million people on the African continent suffer from acute food insecurity.
• African Governments to ensure that the majority of citizens have access to affordable, nutritious and safe food

President Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia has felt the impact of rising food and commodity prices resulting from the shocks and uncertainties in the global supply chains of essential commodities.
Speaking in a speech read on his behalf him by Finance Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane at the high-level African Agriculture Policy Leadership Dialogue, President Hichilema noted that according to statistics, over 140 million people on the African continent suffer from acute food insecurity.
He urged African Governments to ensure that the majority of citizens have access to affordable, nutritious and safe food, to live better lives and contribute to national development.
“This high-level agricultural policy and leadership dialogue is being convened at a time when most of our countries on the African continent, are embarking on much needed policy and regulatory reforms, aimed at ensuring food self-sufficiency, improved livelihoods and food and nutrition security,” he said
President Hichilema noted that African leaders have the duty to put in place good policies and ensure the effective implementation of policy 5 actions that will provide the right incentives to producers, promote investments and innovation and improve the quality of public expenditures in the sector.
“In Zambia, we are currently designing the comprehensive agricultural transformation support programme (CATSP), which is anchored on developing the capacity of the private sector investment with a view to enhancing food and nutrition security, boosting food exports, increasing job opportunities, enhancing the sustainability of the sector and increasing its contribution to Gross Domestic Product(GDP).
He explained that the CATSP will also help in addressing the emerging and persistent challenges in the sector such as the impacts of climate change, poor soil fertility and natural resource degradation.
“We remain hopeful that the reforms our government is undertaking will unclock climate financing and investment in critical infrastructure that will facilitate and enhance domestic and international trade in agricultural commodities,” President Hichilema stated.
Meanwhile, President Hichilema said Governments and policy makers must take advantage of such platforms to enhance coordination and mobilization of resources to fully maximize on the potential benefits of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and other important regional and continental trade initia