Family health and food security

Abstract

It is with great pleasure that I come here this morning to open the University of Zimbabwe Fourth Annual Conference on Food Security Research in Southern Africa. I am pleased to report again this year that the conference agenda has been prepared in dose cooperation with SADCC member states in cooperation with Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Agriculture--the coordinator of SADCC’s food security programme. SADCC member states have a critical role to play in food security planning and research because of the diversity and complexity of the agro-ecologies and the political priorities in our region. This diversity and complexity requires grass roots and national-level participation in food security debates. These national efforts should fulfill national goals as well as contribute to regional cooperation and solidarity. There is convincing evidence that there are multiple paths to achieving food security. In practice, this means we must move beyond simple slogans such as "food self-sufficiency" and "food self-reliance” and address the overall policy question: What is the most cost-effective mix of domestic food production, storage, trade, and/or food aid to meet national and regional food security objectives in both the short- and long-run?