Namibia has known as on all Meals and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) member states to implement the ideas of the Articulate of Meals and Agriculture Document, localise the Pact for the Future, and prioritise bettering meals safety while building more sustainable agri-meals systems.
This name became made by the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, in the center of the Forty fourth session of the FAO Convention held final week in Rome, Italy.
“Namibia’s agricultural landscape is characterised by a dual structure comprising both commercial and subsistence farming, with a predominant focus on crop and livestock production,” stated Zaamwani.
She highlighted that cattle farming stays the backbone of Namibia’s agricultural sector, contributing approximately two-thirds of the sector’s share to GDP and taking half in a necessary characteristic in sustaining livelihoods. The Namibian government, she added, has prioritised agriculture as a key pillar of socio-economic kind.
“We are committed to transforming the sector through diversification, shifting from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation-based systems, and investing in agro-processing, with a strong emphasis on sustainable innovation,” she stated.
Pope Leo XIV, who also addressed the gathering, renowned that while some progress has been made, world meals safety continues to decline, making it increasingly more not going that the “Zero Hunger” blueprint below the 2030 Agenda will be accomplished.
“There are people who suffer grievously and long for solutions to their many needs. We understand they cannot solve them by themselves. The continuing tragedy of widespread hunger and malnutrition, which persists in many countries today, is sadder and more shameful when we realise that, although the earth can produce enough food for all human beings, and despite international commitments to food security, it is unfortunate that so many of the world’s poor still lack their daily bread,” he stated.
Pope Leo XIV added that meals systems greatly affect local weather substitute, and vice versa. He pressured that the social injustices introduced on by pure disasters and biodiversity loss must be addressed to raise out a simply ecological transition — person that areas every folks and the ambiance at its core.
“Producing food is not enough; it is also essential to ensure that food systems are sustainable and provide healthy, affordable diets for all. It is therefore a matter of rethinking and renewing our food systems from a perspective of solidarity — overcoming the logic of unchecked exploitation of creation, and better guiding our efforts to cultivate and care for the environment and its resources, to ensure food security and achieve sufficient and healthy nutrition for all,” he stated.
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The Director Real of the FAO, Qu Dongyu, underscored the pressing need for innovation and creativity, as FAO members reached consensus on the Organisation’s Programme of Work and Funds for the 2026-2027 biennium.
“Let us not be defined by scarcity, but by our ingenuity, solidarity, and collective will. This is your organisation. You must champion food availability, food accessibility, food affordability, food diversity, and agrifood systems transformation as the foundation for stability and prosperity,” he instructed.
Qu emphasised that resilience is built — not given — and highlighted that local weather-tailored agriculture, sustainable fisheries, and empowered smallholders are serious investments in resilience.
“These are the foundations upon which food security and stable societies are built, even in turbulent times,” he stated, adding that adaptation is really the predominant pathway to resilience.
