BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MBABANE – Minister of Agriculture Jabulani Mabuza has launched the Hand in Hand Initiative.
The Minister launched the Initiative by highlighting that it will go a long way in helping emaSwati identify market opportunities in Agriculture and ensure food security. The launch was held today at Mountain View Hotel in Mbabane.
“There have to be ways explored to see how we can collaborate with the private sector to identify appropriate value chains and where the opportunities seem to be where emaSwati can participate to ensure food security for the nation,” said Mabuza when speaking at the launch today.
The programme is supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
“This is not the first time that the FAO is assisting us as they have supported us on numerous other projects. As a nation we have and are putting a lot of effort to ensure that we attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as a country,” added Mabuza.
The Minister of Agriculture also highlighted that one of their key areas of focus as a ministry is on water harvesting, which is meant to ensure that changes in climate do not leave farmers without water for agriculture.
According to the FAO, the Hand-in-Hand (HIH) Initiative supports the implementation of nationally led, ambitious programmes to accelerate agrifood systems transformations by eradicating poverty (SDG1), ending hunger and malnutrition (SDG2), and reducing inequalities (SDG10). It uses advanced geospatial modeling and analytics, as well as a robust partnership-building approach to accelerate the market-based transformation of agrifood systems — to raise incomes, improve the nutritional status and well-being of poor and vulnerable populations, and strengthen resilience to climate change.
The Initiative prioritizes countries and territories where poverty and hunger are highest, national capacities are limited, or operational difficulties are greatest due to natural or man-made crises. Areas of intervention have included developing value chains for priority commodities, building agro-industries and efficient water management systems, introducing digital services and precision agriculture, reducing food losses and waste, and addressing climate challenges and weather risks.
