High level dialogue on food security ends in Swaziland

High Level Food Security Policy Dialogue of the Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) ended at the weekend in Swaziland alongside FANRPAN Annual General Meeting (AGM) with over 300 participants.

Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, the Swaziland Prime Minister opened the event with the theme "Advocating for the Active Engagement of the Youth in the Agricultural Value Chain.”

The AGM which ran between September 19 and 23, this year, ended with case study presentations from some African nations including the host country, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Bostwana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius.

Delegates at the meeting were also taken out on groups for field trips to see actions on ongoing projects for food security, while the Food Security Policy Leadership Award was presented to Her Majesty, Queen Mother Ntombi Indlovukazi of Swaziland as a result of the motivation of the project witnessed.

The engagements of young people in agricultural sector topped discuss, even as different components of agricultural sectors implication on youths and alternative policy approaches to the development of agricultural sector.

Speaking at the dialogue, Hlobsile Ndlovu, Swaziland's Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs noted that there could only be solutions to youths’ challenges when the youth themselves are involve in the fight.

"We believe that nothing is for the youth without the youth,” Ndlovu declared and urged those youths should not just to seen as assets of any nation but permitted to access all the advantages as set out by the constitution of their countries.

In Swaziland, the minister said, government gave youths access to land for productive use in partnership with stakeholders like the traditional rulers. Stressing that programmes concerning the youths are being implemented and evaluated in order to eliminate any challenge for the youth.

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