15 July 2014, Harare - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Representative to Zimbabwe and Subregional Coordinator for the Organization in southern Africa Mr David  Phiri, speaks to Zimbabwe's Star FM (http://www.starfm.co.zw) about FAO's activities in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa. The main focus of the interview was on FAO and UKAid's emergency assistance to the livestock sector following years of successive droughts.

FAO's David Phiri speaks to Star FM - Livestock drought mitigation operation in Zimbabwe

The Food and Agriculture Organization, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African insect science for food and health (ICIPE) and the Governments of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have come together in a new initiative aimed at harmonizing approaches to tackle the threats posed by the Asian fruit flies in the region.
FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Mr. David Phiri tells us more about the project.

FAO's David Phiri on Asian Fruit Fly project for southern Africa

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a stakeholder workshop on mainstreaming trade and related policies and mechanisms into agriculture and food security strategies and investment plans on 12 and 13 May 2015. This workshop brings representatives of governments, FAO and regional trade bodies from Southern Africa to raise awareness on why and how to engage with the Ministries of Trade and related stakeholders in the Country Program Framework process. Additionally, the workshop helps clarify the assistance that FAO can provide to African countries and Regional and Economic Communities to strengthen their capacity to design and implement trade strategies and trade policies, and to negotiate trade agreements able to support the implementation of agricultural and food security strategies and investment plans that enable countries to leverage trade as a means to achieving their poverty reduction and food security objectives and in doing so generating employment opportunities.

David Phiri - Stakeholder workshop on mainstreaming trade and related policies into agriculture

Ringson Chitsiko - Stakeholder workshop on mainstreaming trade and related policies into agriculture

Effective food safety and quality management systems are essential not only for safeguarding the health and well-being of people, but also in fostering economic development and improving livelihoods – senior government experts from southern Africa agreed at a 4 day workshop that ended took place from 9 – 12 June in Windhoek Namibia.
Jean Kamanzi, FAO Food Safety and Quality officer for the Africa region notes that major changes are in the horizon for the continent for which governments must be prepared.

Jean Kamanzi On Food Safety In Africa MRA

With the increasing need for risk based scientific advice to better manage microbiological food safety issues, the Food and agriculture organization (FAO) and International Life Sciences Institute – South Africa (ILSI-SA) partnered in the delivery of the first ever hands on Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) training in southern Africa.
As microbiological food safety issues are brought to the attention of risk managers, there needs to be a systematic preliminary process that brings particular issues into focus and guides further action.
Lucia Anelich Executive and Scientific Director of ILSI-SA talks about the need to create awareness as to what risk assessment is actually all about and the need to equip the high level government experts attending the workshop with the knowhow of conducting successful microbiological assessments 


Dr Lucia Anelich on Microbiological Risk Assessments in Africa

The Food and agriculture organization (FAO) and International Life Sciences Institute – South Africa (ILSI-SA) partnered in the delivery of the first ever hands on Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) training for southern Africa in Windhoek Namibia from 9 – 12 June
Speaking to the workshop participants at the opening session of the workshop, Babagana Ahmadu, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) representative to Namibia, highlighted the importance of food safety as a key component of food and nutrition security as well as a key ingredient for economic development.
“The work of FAO in food safety is based on the right to food and we believe that consumers have the right to expect that the food available on domestic markets is safe and of the desired quality,” Mr Ahmadu said. “Through the Codex Alimentarius, FAO plays a central role in providing a forum where countries can dialogue and establish international agreed upon food standards with the view of not only protecting the health of consumers, but also facilitating trade,” he added.

FAO Rep Namibia Opening Remarks at a Microbiological Risk Assessment Workshop Workshop

Southern African Pesticide Regulators’ Forum (SAPReF) met in Harare from 27 – 30 July to come up with a strategic action plan that seeks to reduce health and environmental risks associated with the chemicals.
“Southern African countries lack effective and fully operational systems for pesticide regulation and control and support to farmers on the best practices in sustainable pest management and pesticide use. Widespread overuse, misuse, mishandling and mismanagement of pesticides are all too common throughout the region,” said David Phiri,  the FAO Subregional Coordinator for southern Africa during the opening of the strategic workshop.

David Phiri - Pesticide regulators' workshop

The Southern African Pesticide Regulators’ Forum (SAPReF) met in Harare from 27 – 30 July. Speaking during the official opening of the strategic workshop, the Permanent Secretary in host country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Ringson Chitsiko, said developing countries were facing growing domestic and global concerns over pesticide use and associated risks. Chitsiko added that central to environmental and health hazards created by the expanding use of pesticides in developing countries is the weakness of national regulatory agencies.
“Such a situation requires effective national pesticide management capacities. An efficiently regulated and managed pesticide registration scheme is a prerequisite for ensuring that pesticides used in the country are useful for controlling pests and would not cause effects on humans and the environment,” added Chitsiko.

Ringson Chitsiko - Pesticides regulators' workshop

Increased global demand for agricultural produce puts pressure on smallholder farmers to use chemical inputs so that they increase productivity. However, the use of these inputs including pesticides leads to a paradoxical situation as there has to be a balance between increased production and care for the environment as well as health safety for the consumers. As such, it is imperative that there be a strongly enforced regulatory framework for pesticide use, trade and disposal. FAO's Senior Officer for Pesticides Management Mark Davis, explains further at the Southern African Pesticide Regulators’ Forum (SAPReF)in Harare from 27 – 30 July 

Mark Davis - Pesticides regulators' workshop

FAO Subregional Coordinator (Southern African Region) and Zimbabwe Country Rep Chimimba David Phiri speaks about food security

David On SFM 16 October 2015

The FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa (SFS) is a technical hub established in 2006 and is hosted in Harare, Zimbabwe. It supports 16 countries predominantly in southern Africa. These countries include; Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eritrea, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The principal function of the subregional Office is the overall identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities based on the needs of the member countries in the subregion. 

FAO Southern Africa

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