Ministers from Southern African countries have adopted a series of resolutions aimed at strengthening food security and building resilience against a possible El Niño weather phenomenon expected later this year.
The resolutions were adopted during the Joint Meeting of SADC Ministers Responsible for Agriculture, Food Security, Fisheries and Aquaculture held in Victoria Falls, where leaders expressed concern over increasing threats to regional food systems posed by climate change, animal diseases and disruptions to global agricultural supply chains.
The decisions come amid warnings of a 77% probability that a moderate-to-very-strong El Niño event could develop between late 2026 and early 2027, potentially bringing below-average rainfall and crop failures across parts of Southern Africa.
As part of efforts to improve preparedness, ministers approved a Memorandum of Understanding on the harmonisation of fertiliser regulatory frameworks across the region. The agreement is expected to improve the availability, quality and movement of fertilisers within SADC, while helping farmers access critical agricultural inputs at lower costs.
The ministers also called for stronger fertiliser market intelligence systems and targeted subsidy programmes to support smallholder farmers.
Recognising the threat livestock diseases pose to food production and trade, the ministers approved a regional framework to strengthen the control of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The framework aims to enhance coordinated surveillance, improve cross-border response mechanisms and strengthen the management of disease risks at the wildlife-livestock interface.
Member states were further encouraged to establish a regional FMD vaccine bank and strengthen disease-control legislation.
In another key decision, ministers approved the SADC Feed and Fodder Strategic Framework, which seeks to improve feed production, processing and distribution systems across the region. The initiative is expected to bolster livestock production, a critical source of income and nutrition for millions of households.
The meeting also called for the establishment of regional cereal and fertiliser reserves, enhanced early-warning systems and joint fertiliser procurement mechanisms to protect member states from supply disruptions and price shocks.
These measures were considered particularly important as ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to affect supplies of key fertiliser components, including nitrogen, urea and ammonia, which are widely used by farmers across the region.
Ministers further urged member states to accelerate the adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices, strengthen food and agricultural input markets, and invest in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture as part of broader efforts to safeguard food security against future climate and economic shocks.
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