As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on with essentially no end in sight, the United Nations (UN) says food systems should be part of the Covid-19 response. The UN Food Systems Summit which was held during the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, undoubtedly created the appropriate stage for global food systems transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. SDGs are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, which outlines internationally agreed targets in areas such as poverty, hunger, health, climate action, clean energy and responsible consumption. Among other things, the summit included pledges on healthy meals for schoolchildren, food waste reduction, as well as harnessing agricultural innovation to meet climate goals.
The issue of food systems is gaining momentum on the global stage as countries race against time to accelerate efforts to tackle malnutrition. This year several summits have been lined up. Apart from the recently held United Nations Food Systems Summit which was in New York in September, the Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021 will be held in Japan on 7th – 8th December 2021, and also the Climate Change Conference will be held in Scotland starting October 31 to November 12.
Speaking to this publication, a Dietician, Lebogang Kopela said in order to achieve sustained recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and evade an imminent health calamity, Botswana and all other countries globally must commit to targeted action on health and food systems.
“It is my sincere hope that these summits will help policymakers in Botswana to come up with policies and actions that could bring radical improvements in the food systems. This is the time for us to put human health at the centre of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions,” she says.
At the UN summit, countries were also urged to urgently examine their food production and consumption patterns as a way of saving the planet. In his address at the UN Food Systems Summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted that the world must implement natural alternatives to industrial agricultural practises that protect the planet as it faces rising hunger, obesity and malnutrition.
“Food systems are shaping progress in three fundamental areas: People — “Nourishing Everyone for Health and Wellbeing”. Planet — “Producing in Harmony with Nature”. Prosperity — “Inclusive, transformative and equitable recovery for the 2030 Agenda”. This triple thrust enables the world to engage to deliver on the 2030 Agenda,” he said.
The Covid-19 pandemic has unquestionably left scores of households in Botswana unable to meet basic nutritional needs and disrupted supply chains. However, the pandemic has also provided a window into opportunities for much-needed food systems reform in Botswana. Although the main priority of the government is to get the economy back up and running again, food is a central pandemic response option which cannot be ignored because it has a direct bearing on the economy and public health.
One thing that came out clear at the UN summit was that science and innovation are essential to achieving a radical transformation of food systems.
A commentator who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity noted that Botswana needs food systems reform before the next pandemic.
“In Botswana, most food systems are not sustainable so it is only by science that the entire food system including production, consumption and the value chain can be fixed,” he says adding that the country’s food system does not guarantee sustainability. Among other things he said Botswana must increase production of climate resilient varieties of vegetables and cereals using sustainable agricultural methods.
An ideal food system is normally made up of five things being environmentally sustainable, efficient, contributes to good health; inclusive of the most at-risk groups and is resilient to regular shocks.
“It is imperative for organisations such as Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to conduct follow-up actions after the summit to ensure that pledges made by countries are followed through. This is the only way that tangible results can be experienced in the global agri-food systems,” he says.
Before the first Covid-19 case was detected in Botswana in March 2020, the country’s food systems were facing severe challenges in achieving equitable access to healthy, nutritious food for all. Sadly, the pandemic has reversed the little gains that have been made and has put the country further behind in reaching the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) whose end point is 2030.
A few months ago, the minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Karabo Gare implored farmers to put more effort in producing commodities such as cereal, milk and horticultural products as they were in short supply.
