Zambia Reaffirms Commitment to Healthier Diets and Resilient Food Systems at UN Summit
Zambia has reiterated its commitment to transforming national food systems to ensure healthier diets and tackle malnutrition, during the UN Food Systems Summit +4 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking at a high-level panel titled “Transforming Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition”, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Reuben Mtolo Phiri, emphasized the country’s strategic focus on nutrition-sensitive agricultural planning.
He noted that Zambia’s food systems transformation is anchored in the National Food and Nutrition Act, which places nutrition oversight directly under the Office of the Vice President for effective cross-sector coordination.
“Ending malnutrition goes beyond food production. It demands a total shift in how we grow, consume, and value food,” Hon. Phiri said. “Our Comprehensive Food Systems Pathways prioritizes access to safe, diverse, and nutritious diets.”
Key among the initiatives outlined was the launch of Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs), a tool to guide healthy eating using culturally relevant and accessible information.
Hon. Phiri also highlighted Zambia’s crop diversification agenda, designed to reduce dependence on maize by supporting legumes, tubers, oilseeds, and horticulture. This shift aims to improve climate resilience, boost rural livelihoods, and enhance nutrition security.
Further, Zambia is scaling up its national campaign against all forms of malnutrition, stunting, wasting, and obesity, under frameworks aligned with the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition. As part of this, the country is also actively promoting traditional and indigenous foods to curb overreliance on ultra-processed products.
Reflecting on last year’s drought, Hon. Phiri revealed that Zambia, under Presidential directive, is ramping up production of key staples such as maize, wheat, and soybeans, but with an added focus on nutritional outcomes.
“Food availability must translate into better dietary outcomes,” he emphasized. “We are aligning agricultural productivity with our national nutrition goals.”
