FAO and Members of Parliament join efforts to strengthen legislative advocacy for food system transformation in Uganda
|
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is in dialogue with members of the Ugandan Parliament to expedite the process of creating relevant laws and policies required to support Uganda’s food systems transformation.
To achieve this, through the facilitation of Food and Nutrition Security Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation (FIRST) Programme, an EU-funded policy assistance programme in Uganda, FAO organized an advocacy workshop for Uganda’s Members of Parliament (MPs) to orient the recently inaugurated 11th Parliament (2021-2026) on food systems dimensions and the relevance of Law makers in accelerating achievement of sustainable development in all its forms.
The workshop was organised on the heels of the National Food Systems Dialogues and the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), which were held in August and September 2021. The workshop was an opportunity to debrief MPs on the outcomes of the first-ever United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) and Uganda’s commitment and pathway on food systems transformation.
The Food Systems Summit generated catalytic and game-changing proposals to spur national, regional and international partnerships and action to deliver equitably on all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through food systems transformation. It featured commitments from more than 85 Heads of State and Government. The Summit resulted in a comprehensive approach towards agri-food systems transformation to fight poverty and hunger through reduced inequalities to universal food access, preservation of planet for people and prosperity and realization of the fundamental right to adequate food.
Although strengthening legislation in food systems is a critical aspect of the post-Summit agenda, Uganda lacks a unified Food and Nutrition Legislation that provides anchorage for a multi-sectoral arrangement and legal framework to mainstream the right to adequate food, strategic food reserves, food banks, food insecurity vulnerability mapping and relief among others into legislation.
“Such legal frameworks are essential to ensure the most vulnerable are catered by remedial contingencies measures in law,” said Antonio Querido- FAO Representative in Uganda.
“As representatives of the people, Parliament has a core mandate in the sustainable transformation of food systems. Today is an opportunity to update you on what has been achieved and also encourage you to join the advocacy for sustainable food systems transformation in Uganda and beyond”, he added.
The engagement with MPs is part of FAO’s continuous support to the Parliament of Uganda, which started in 2017, with the formation of the Uganda Parliamentary Alliance of Food and Nutrition Security (UPA-FNS), a body of several forums supporting food and nutrition security and related works.
During the workshop, MPs were urged to embrace the Uganda Agrifood System Transformation Agenda, positioning it high on the legislative agenda over the next five years.
Querido urged MPs to support the legislative actions to enhance policy and programme actions for food systems, mobilising their communities through civic awareness, and representation of rights holders concerns and issues on the food systems, providing support to the appropriation of budget resources, as well as ensure oversight and accountability on food systems transformation processes.
Querido pledged FAO’s support to the Uganda Parliamentary Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security and other committees and processes of the Parliament to support the Government of Uganda in the successful implementation of the Food System Transformation Agenda. In particular, he highlighted the need to undertake a comprehensive review of legal, policy and institutional frameworks and strengthen existing food systems governance structures.
MPs rise to fore on food systems transformation agenda
Leading up to the UNFSS, Uganda organised national and grass roots dialogues to generate consensus on food systems transformation actions. This process however missed the active involvement of lawmakers because Parliament was in recess and transitioning from the 10th to the 11th Parliament.
However, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Nutrition and Kigulu South MP- Milton Muwuma noted that resilient food systems and good nutrition are a vital resource for not only good health and human survival, but also sustainable transformation and development of a nation and its peoples.
He expressed the immediate need to enact laws that facilitate the development of resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems that will withstand crises and shocks such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, climate-related stocks such as floods and droughts, among others.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges to already fragile food systems, and to our efforts to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition. It is important to re-think how our food system functions so that even through the crisis, our food systems can remain resilient and continue to function. This can be achieved through enacting appropriate laws such as the long-awaited Food and Nutrition Bill, the Food Safety Bill, and the Consumers’ Protection Bill, among others,” he said.
According to Muwama, due to several policy-wide disputes, Uganda has been in the process of enacting desirable Food and Nutrition Law for Uganda, for more than 10 years and it is imperative that the House takes lead on ensuring this law.
Through UPA-FNS, he pledged to continue working with FAO to ensure that legislation on food and nutrition is passed to promote sustainable food systems transformation, improved food security and good nutrition all Ugandans, noting that the Alliance is in advanced stages of developing a Food and Nutrition Legislative Advocacy Action Plan (FNLAAP) 2022-2026.
The workshop was also addressed by Joses Tegyeza, the Commissioner Strategic Coordination and Implementation at the Office of the Prime Minister, Engineer Dr Ivan Lule- an Executive Board Member of the National Planning Authority (NPA) and Dr Samalie Namukose- the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Nutrition in the Ministry of Health.
Dr Namukose presented key programme interventions related to food systems that are being implemented by the Ministry of Health, including development of food-based dietary guidelines, assessment of public food procurement to inform policy and regulations and guidelines and actions in maternal, infant and young child feeding (MIYCAN). The Ministry is also implementing interventions to tackle the surge in non-communicable diseases especially in urban settings across the country.
Agnes Kirabo- Executive Director of the Food Rights Alliance amplified the role and contribution of civil society during the food systems dialogues and urged MPs to become allies in ensuring that no one is left behind in the food system transformation agenda.
Among the key suggestions for follow-up actions was the need to organise regional food system meetings for MPs to reach the grassroots to understand regional specific issues affecting the food system in different zones of the country. In this way, more people and communities across Uganda will be reached with the message of food system transformation.
Through the Food and Nutrition Security Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation (FIRST) Programme, an EU-funded policy assistance programme in Uganda, FAO shall continue working with relevant authorities in Uganda to support the:
a) Development of a Food Systems Transformation Plan aligned to National Development Plan (NDP III 2021-2025), enabling policy coherence and convergence towards reaching the 17 SDGs by 2030. b) Adoption of planning guidelines to support national and sub-national actors in the appropriation and implementation/ of food systems transformation Plan in the immediate term and medium term. c) Mapping and generating evidence and tools to support national processes towards adapting the UNFSS recommendation, ensuring that annual national food systems assessment activities and dialogue are carried out. d) Strengthening nutrition-sensitive affirmative actions and programmes to address the regional and spatial differences, with a focus on smallholders, women, youth and child-headed households. A human right to adequate food approach to vulnerability response and relief is much desired to ensure equity and empowerment of vulnerable rights holders. e) Development of an integrated and comprehensive food and nutrition information system and data to strengthen the evidence base for transforming and tracking the progress of Uganda’s food system transformation. f) Strengthening digital services coverage and access across agri-food systems to improve vulnerability mapping, tracking, timely response and improved efficiency and accountability in food and nutrition-related services.
Media contact: Agatha Ayebazibwe Communications Officer FAO Uganda WA: +255 779442502 Email: [email protected] |