Zim joins world in observing World Food Day

The Herald, October 14, 1991

IMBABWE joins 157 other countries of the world in commemorating World Food Day on Wednesday under the theme Trees for Life.

“With our own agro- forestry projects in Zimbabwe, this theme ties in well with our environmental awareness programmes, but what we want to add (and to emphasise on the theme) are the food aspects of trees,” the chairman of the national World Food Day committee in Zimbabwe, Cde Sam Kahwa, said at the weekend.

Cde Kahwa, who is also Agritex’s chief agricultural specialist, said a number of areas in Zimbabwe were facing food shortages of various degrees.

Some of these areas included Beitbridge and certain parts of Manicaland and Mashonaland East.

Against such a background, it was important to realise that trees provided food.

Fruits and roots from various indigenous and exotic trees could either be used as supplementary food, or in times of serious shortages, whole meals.

As part of the theme for this year’s commemoration, the WFD committee ran a competition in all of the country’s eight provinces in which participants were judged on their projects, which had to have a bearing on “trees for life”

The winner of the competition was Mr and Mrs Muteyi Chizeya of Goneso Ward in Wedza. The main ceremony to observe the WFD will be held at the winner’s place on October 17.

The ceremonies to commemorate the day have been rescheduled from October 16 to 17 because they coincide with a tree planting activity by the wives of the Heads of State to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at the International Friendship Forest in Belvedere, Harare.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

◆ Today October 16, Zimbabwe joins other members of the United Nations family to commemorate World Food Day. ◆ World Food Day has been commemorated since 1979 and this year, it will be celebrated the day that the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) was established in 1945. ◆ Every year, World Food Day is celebrated to “appreciate the amazing food we eat, but also to tackle world hunger.”

◆ This year, Zimbabwe will celebrate World Food Day from a position of strength considering that there was a bumper harvest by the majority of farmers, including smallholder farmers. ◆ Guided by the Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe needs to up its game with regards deforestation, which can be a major threat to the economy and food security. More than 300 000 hectares continue to be destroyed each year by deforestation.

◆ Zimbabwe should also ensure that excess food is well stored and/ or exported considering that agriculture is the country’s major pillar.