Story by Tendai Munengwa
ROME, ITALY – THE Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, is in Rome attending the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) ministerial special conference, which runs from Friday until Sunday.
The conference, which commenced with the sixth African Union-European Union (AU-EU) Agriculture Ministerial Thematic Session, comes on the heels of a major milestone, FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP) recently announced the removal of Zimbabwe from the list of global hunger hotspots, alongside Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia.
The positive development, outlined in the latest Hunger Hotspots 2025 report, reflects notable improvements in food security across the six nations.
This progress is credited to the convergence of favourable climatic conditions, effective interventions, and enhanced coordination, marking a significant advance in the battle against hunger.
The thematic session focuses on key pillars for achieving sustainable food and nutritional security in developing countries, namely investment and financing in agricultural food systems and value chains, sustainable practices and climate resilience, and research, innovation, and technology.
Zimbabwe has, over the years, benefited from substantial technical support and millions of United States dollars in funding from both the European Union (EU) and FAO, channelled towards various agricultural development programmes.
The removal of Zimbabwe from the Hunger Hotspot list, following a comprehensive report by FAO and WFP, signals the country’s achievement of food security during the last agricultural season, a development lauded by stakeholders as a step towards resilience and sustainability.
