FAO calls for coordinated action to transform Zambia’s food systems

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has called for stronger collaboration across sectors to accelerate the transformation of Zambia’s food systems, warning that climate change, environmental degradation and malnutrition are placing increasing pressure on the country’s development.

Speaking on during the Food Systems Technical Dialogue in Lusaka on Wednesday at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, FAO Representative, Suze Percy-Filippini, said transforming agrifood systems required coordinated action across agriculture, health, nutrition, trade, education, environmental management and social protection.

In a speech read on her behalf by FAO National Food Systems Coordinator, Rhoda Mofya, she said Zambia’s agrifood systems remained central to economic growth, food security, nutrition and rural livelihoods, but face growing threats from recurrent droughts, floods, rising food prices and changing dietary patterns.

“These challenges remind us that food systems transformation is not the responsibility of one sector alone. It requires coordinated action across agriculture, health, nutrition, environment, trade, education and social protection,” Filippini said.

She described the two-day dialogue as an important platform for stakeholders to assess progress, exchange lessons and identify practical solutions to accelerate implementation of Zambia’s Food Systems Transformation Pathways.

According to Filippini, discussions should focus on identifying scalable interventions capable of delivering measurable improvements in food security, nutrition, climate resilience and sustainable rural development.

She said the dialogue would contribute to implementing the Scalable Success Model, an approach designed to identify proven interventions, strengthen coordination, mobilise partnerships and expand successful initiatives across the country.

“By identifying what works, understanding why it works, and agreeing on how successful interventions can be replicated and expanded, we can accelerate progress towards food security, improved nutrition, climate resilience and sustainable rural development,” she said.

The FAO Representative further highlighted the growing role of young people in transforming Zambia’s agrifood systems, saying youth are increasingly driving innovation, climate-smart agriculture and agribusiness development.

She welcomed the launch of the World Food Forum Zambia Chapter during the dialogue, describing it as an important milestone in giving young people a greater role in shaping food systems policy and promoting innovation.

Filippini said the youth-led platform, which has already mobilised more than 300 young people nationwide, would provide opportunities for leadership development, policy engagement and knowledge sharing, ensuring that young people become active contributors to Zambia’s food systems transformation.

Similary, the United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub (UNFSCH) called for integrated responses to tackle challenges such as food insecurity, malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss and economic pressures facing countries like Zambia

UNFSCH Regional Advisor for Africa Martin Bwalya highlighted that countries have less than five years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and were facing increasingly connected crises.

Bwalya cited other challenges as income opportunities such as youth unemployment which are deeply intertwined

Bwalya stated that food systems transformation remains one of the strongest accelerators of the 2030 Agenda and of key national economic growth and development goals and targets.

He noted that Zambia’s efforts are anchored in the Eighth National Development Plan, the Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme, national nutrition strategies and other sector priorities.

“With less than five years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, countries are facing increasingly interconnected challenges. Food insecurity, malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss and economic pressures, including income opportunities, such as youth unemployment, are deeply intertwined and require integrated responses,” Bwalya said.

He said pursuing food systems transformation will simultaneously contribute to poverty reduction, better nutrition and human wellbeing, while strengthening climate resilience and environmental sustainability.

Bwalya noted that pursuing food systems transformation would simultaneously contribute to poverty reduction, better nutrition and human wellbeing, while strengthening climate resilience and environmental sustainability.

Over the next two days, participants were expected to validate evidence from the Scalable Success Model, identify opportunities for convergence across food, nutrition, climate and resilience agendas, and agree on a shared roadmap for implementation.

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