African parliamentarians join action to end hunger

The Zero Hunger Coalition is pleased to announce that the African Food System Parliamentary Network (AFSPaN) has joined the Coalition. AFSPaN is a network of Parliamentarians from across Africa who are committed to putting in place the legislative framework to end food insecurity on their continent.  

According to the Hon. Jeremy Lissouba, member of Parliament from the Republic of Congo, the AFSPaN emerged from the necessity to transform Africa’s food systems. “The problems are well-known. However, we need to coordinate our efforts, ensure the efficient use of resources and adopt an evidence-based approach to our policy interventions. Our goal is to promote policy coherence and overcome the challenges of insufficient communications between stakeholders.” 

For the Hon Neema Lungagira, member of Parliament from Tanzania, the Zero Hunger Coalition has a key role in bringing together different platforms and stakeholders. She notes that as a member of Parliament, it is their duty to respond to the challenges in Africa.  

“We look to the Zero Hunger Coalition as a platform that brings new stakeholders to our conversation as well as equip us with the evidence to enrich our advocacy efforts. We need to make sure that parliamentarians are involved in food system transformation and can bridge the gaps where engagement is lacking,” she noted.  

Neema applauded the inclusion of nutrition as one of the key elements in the Zero Hunger Coalition’s Evidence-based and costed roadmaps for ending food insecurity. “As we know in Africa, food security does not mean nutrition security,” she remarks. 

For the Hon. Dr. Jasaw Godfred, member of Parliament from Ghana, agrifood systems are threatened and action is needed. Parliamentarians have a key role in leveraging and influencing budgets, pushing for policy action and ensuring the financing of food system transformation. “We need to break existing silos, whether in health, infrastructure or agriculture, in our approach to food system transformation,” he notes.  

The Zero Hunger Coalition looks forward to working together with the AFSPaN.