Namibia and food security

ALVENUS F. DREYER, A SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE ACTIVIST, WRITES:

Very recently, during the period of 7 to 9 May, President Nangolo Mbumba attended the African soil health and fertilizer summit in Kenya.

The president was among a number of other African heads of state who were also invited. The importance of the gathering must be overemphasized. Most African countries, and in particular Namibia, still have a long way to go before becoming self-sufficient.

Whatever message or information the president brought back home from the gathering is definitely indispensable. One important thing that came out of the gathering was the signing of the Nairobi Declaration, which is a document that talks about what Africa must do to ensure enough fertilizer for the continent’s food security.

CORE AREAS

According to my understanding, there are three core areas that any government must prioritize in order to ensure the continued betterment of the daily social and economic status of all its citizens.

These three core areas are, namely, education, health, and food security. They are like the fuel, clutch and brake pedals of a motor vehicle; if one dysfunctions or is not functioning at all, the destination will not be reached.

One of Namibia’s destinations come the year 2030 and beyond is to be a food-self-sufficient country. Food self-sufficiency simply means the ability of a region or country to produce enough food (esp. staple crops) without needing to buy or import additional food.

In order for our country to effectively counter this challenge of food insufficiency, a lot of hard and smart work must be done. With our country’s stable political and investor/business environment (both local and international) it is impossible to have cases like the one in the Omaheke Region, where 45 children died in July 2023 as a result of malnutrition. Hunger and malnutrition is a reality in our country, which is the land of “milk and honey” for only a handful of the chosen ones.

WHAT MUST AND CAN BE DONE?

The already existing programs and projects by both government and the private sector must be scaled up. Local authorities in all 14 regions, together with line ministries, must identify more land for crop and fodder production. Especially in regions with great potential.

In considering this initiative, the Performance Agreement System (PAS) must be upheld and vigorously monitored and evaluated as part of continuing to maintain the legacy of the late president, Dr. Hage G. Geingob. The person who planted the seed of green hydrogen.

ONE-STOP-SHOP

With the envisaged realization of various green hydrogen projects in Namibia, the issue of food

insufficiency can be addressed more profoundly. What’s needed is for the correct sciences, technology, research, and innovation to be applied.

For this to happen, revamp buildings that are simply serving as “white elephants” all over the country into vocational and agricultural training centers.

This, in turn, will also lead to the creation of both short- and long-term employment. The abundant ammonia from the production of green hydrogen that can be turned into fertilizer can be used as a one-stop-shop for all 14 regions where land for crop and fodder production is identified. Namibia’s food security is destined to happen very soon rather than later.

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