The Head of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Namibia, Daison Ngizari has said that access to big markets for local farmers who produce agricultural products in Namibia, remains crucial.

Ngizari, who was speaking at the WFP and Capricorn Foundation workshop on how to transform food systems for suitable development here on Friday, said real action is needed to transform food security to combat hunger challenges and Namibia can only do that by giving local farmers access to markets.

This, he said, can only be done by investing in infrastructure networks to connect fragmented rural production clusters to populated urban centres, investing in safe storage facilities and value addition technologies to reduce waste and promote local indigenous food through social media.

“We import 70 per cent of our food from South Africa, but we have land and water and there is potential in local areas. The opportunities for government to support local goods are very limited and produced goods go to waste, which is painful,” he stressed.

Also in attendance was the Awana Foods and Capricorn Food Waste Challenge 2022 winner, Sara Ekondo, who said innovation in the food system can only be achieved by supporting local farmers to increase food-sufficient energy supply.

“Key enablers in achieving efficiency in the local food system are critical in the application of technology in terms of machinery and equipment used in food production, as it allows us to reduce drudgery in production and promotes efficient production and safe handling of food,” she said.

She added that where there is a shortage of market access, local farmers must adapt to methods of drying their produce so the produce does not go to waste.

Source: Namibia Press Agency