By: Nyima Sillah
The Ministry of Agriculture has adopted the National Pathway document for the preparation of the 2021 Global UN Food system Summit to be held in September 2021 in New York, the adaptation was held at the Sir Dawada Jawara Kairaba International Conference Centre in Bijilo.
Speaking at the ceremony, Honorable Minister of Agriculture Amie Fabureh, said: the adopted document is very inclusive, participatory, consultative, concerted and reach many actors that have a business in foods including those whose voices are seldom heard.
“The National Pathway consists of several milestones which contributed to the achievement of the sustainable development goals,” she added.
She said the key milestones are increase access to land, financing and other productive resource for women and youth, increase the efficiency and effectiveness of heath delivery system, exploit sustainably the country’s natural resource base, double food production and more.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary General, Salimatta E.T. Touray, alluded to the Minister’s words saying getting Gambia to where it is today is the adoption of National Pathway for food systems transformation report.
She said “The advisory committee that coordinates and provides oversight functions should deploy concerted efforts to resolve budgetary, operational and coordinating constraints. These efforts would facilitate the work of the various ministries, UN agencies and stakeholders across the food value chain to maximize the potential and opportunity in the Gambia food system,”
Therefore, she advised “We must continue to address the systemic challenges locally and globally by ensuring that our food system is redesigned to be more productive, more inclusive of the poor, women, youth and the disable, environmentally sustainable and resilient, and deliver healthy nutritious diets to all.”
However, FAO Nutrition and Food System Officer, Solange Heise, added that “The UN system in the Gambia through its UN sustainable development cooperation framework formerly known as the UN Development Assistance Framework will continue to support the Government of the Gambia and will align its priorities to the Government priorities, the pathway of the National Pathway of the National Food System Summit dialogue the SDGs and the Africa Union Agenda 2063.”
