By Mary Kasoka Mwiikisa

Bweengwa Member of Parliament, Michelo Kasautu, has called on Parliamentarians to encourage their communities to consider agroecological farming practices in the wake of climate change.
The lawmaker says organic farming is one way of ensuring food security, especially during extreme weather events.
Speaking at the CHEFS AND CHANGE MAKERS SUMMIT in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mr Kasutu added that organic farming can guarantee healthy food production if adopted on a larger scale.
“Our farmers have to be encouraged to practice agroecology, not as an option but with a conviction that it is a sustainable way of climate adaptation and food security,” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, Food and Nutrition Commission Chief Executive Officer, Muntanga Mapani said Zambia can only improve its nutrition status through enhanced quality food production.

Dr Mapani disclosed that Zambia is currently not well ranked in the state of stunting for children under the age of five, adding that organic foods could change the narrative if widely produced.
“Currently, 34% of children under the age of five in Zambia are stunted, this is mainly due to lack of access to nutritional food, therefore farmers are key in how much food is produced as well as the quality of this food”, said Dr. Mapani.

And conveners of the summit Alliance For Food Sovereignty In Africa (AFSA) through its Board Member, Fassil Gebeyehu Yelemtu called on African Countries to champion the promotion of sustainable food systems.

“At AFSA, we are bringing together farmers, youth, Indigenous peoples, and civil society across 50 countries in Africa. What we hear again and again is clear: people want food systems rooted in justice, in agroecology, and in our own traditions, not systems imported from elsewhere and driven by profit,” Dr Yelemtu said.