The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers have called for coordinated regional action to protect food systems by enhancing fertilizer harmonisation, crop development and control of animal disease such as Food and Mouth (FMD)to enhance regional food security and resilience.
The SADC Committee of Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Food Security, Fisheries and Aquaculture made the call at the meeting held on 29 May 2026 in Victoria Falls, Republic of Zimbabwe.
Chairperson of the SADC Committee of Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Food Security, Fisheries and Aquaculture, John Henry Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of South Africa called on the SADC Member States to fast-track the adoption of the Memorandum of Understanding on Fertiliser Regulatory Frameworks to cut costs and boost resilience, highlighting that SADC “can no longer afford delay” on harmonising fertilizer regulations.
On the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Outbreak and other transboundary diseases, Hon. Steenhuisen highlighted the need for swift and collective action, urging Member States to prioritise cross-border surveillance, traceability, coordinated vaccination, and a stronger ‘One Health’ approach linking animal health, trade, and ecosystems.
“Animal diseases do not respect borders. Our collective resilience depends on the resilience of our neighbours and preparedness is always less costly than prolonged outbreaks.” he said, noting that the SADC region needs to adopt a Regional Coordination Framework and a proposed SADC FMD Vaccine Bank.
He highlighted that a region that invests in stronger veterinary systems, regional surveillance, coordinated Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measure and modernised agricultural systems positions itself to compete more effectively in global markets while protecting food affordability and rural livelihoods at home.
The Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Honourable Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka said the quadruple burden of undernourishment, stunting, wasting and co-morbidities prevailing in the SADC region demands urgency and urged Member States to adopt a collaborative approach to contain and manage transboundary pests and diseases of crops and livestock that pose a risk to food systems.
The SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angèle Makombo N’Tumba stressed that “agriculture is the backbone of the SADC region, sustaining over 70% of the SADC population with livestock alone contributing up to 40 percent of agricultural GDP.
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