The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Committee responsible for Agriculture, Food Security, Fisheries and Aquaculture have commenced high-level deliberations in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, ahead of the Ministerial Meeting scheduled for 29 May 2026, with urgent calls for coordinated regional action to strengthen food systems, fisheries management and climate resilience.
Opening the discussions, Chairperson of the SADC Committee of Senior Officials responsible for Agriculture and Food Security, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mooketsa Ramasodi, Director General in South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, said the region must adopt a balanced approach that addresses both immediate humanitarian needs and long-term structural reforms.
“The regional response needs to be characterised by the ability to balance immediate relief with structural measures that enhance resilience,” said Ramasodi.
A central focus of the meeting was the intervention by Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Dr Obert Jiri, who underscored the need for collective regional solutions to address worsening agricultural and fisheries challenges.
“No individual SADC Member State has the capacity to independently resolve the region’s deepening food security and productivity challenges.
The meeting is taking place at a critical juncture, whereby the region is confronting multiple overlapping risks including climate variability, animal disease outbreaks and external geopolitical disruptions affecting input supply chains,” he said.
Dr Jiri also highlighted the significance of the meeting’s agenda.
“The agenda reflects interconnected challenges from climate shocks and transboundary animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease to global input supply disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions like the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
These compounding risks require coordinated regional preparedness, stronger surveillance systems and improved agricultural resilience strategies,” he stressed.
Dr Jiri further emphasised that strengthening cooperation among SADC Member States is essential for building sustainable agricultural systems capable of withstanding future shocks.
Also addressing the meeting, Director of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the SADC Secretariat, Fahari Marwa, said fisheries and aquaculture remain critical pillars for food security, nutrition and employment creation across the region.
“Fisheries and aquaculture are critical for food security, nutrition, jobs and growth, and must be managed sustainably to bridge the fish supply gap,” said Marwa.
He also highlighted the importance of regional genetic resource centres in strengthening agricultural resilience.
“SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre play a key role in supporting crop breeding and disaster response efforts,” Marwa noted.
Marwa further urged Member States to accelerate the operationalisation of the Animal Genetic Resource Centre.
“I urge SADC Member states to accelerate the operationalisation of the Animal Genetic Resource Centre as it would be vital for improving livestock productivity and safeguarding regional food systems,” he urged.
As the meeting continues today, delegates are expected to refine policy recommendations that will be presented to Ministers, focusing on enhancing food security, improving fisheries governance and strengthening the region’s preparedness against climate and disease-related shocks.
