Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reinforce collaboration for resilient agrifood systems

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are meeting in Harare this week to strengthen regional cooperation and translate shared strategic priorities into practical action for more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. The SADC-FAO annual review, planning and technical cooperation programme inception meeting, taking place from 8 to11 September, brings together technical teams from the two institutions to review progress under their joint work programme, assess emerging regional challenges and agree priorities and work plans for 2027–2028. The meeting comes as Southern Africa confronts a convergence of pressures affecting agricultural production, food security and nutrition, rural livelihoods and regional trade, including climate shocks, droughts and floods, transboundary pests and diseases, land and water degradation, limited mechanisation, weak value-chain integration and constraints to investment and market access. Opening the meeting, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Patrice Talla stressed that the partnership must increasingly focus not only on technical co