Alliance sets standards for food and beverages

BY STEVE EPHRAEM

A new set of guidelines promoting traditional, locally-sourced foods and natural drinks for events and functions has been introduced by the My Food is Zimbabwean Alliance (MFZA). The standards were unveiled during a meeting held by the Alliance at the Community Technology Development Organisation (CTDO) in Harare on 30 October 2025.

During the meeting, concerns were raised about the commitment of some members. Bertha Nherera of Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe, who also serves as the Campaign Coordinator for My Food is African, highlighted an issue of double standards among members regarding indigenous food consumption.

“We might see a member consuming indigenous food when we gather like this. Back home, however, the member will eat different food, opposite to what we stand for,” she said. “The alliance was formed to promote the consumption of Zimbabwean food, not anything else. As long as we do not train ourselves and our families to eat indigenous food at home and in offices, we are going nowhere.”

The new guidance provides specific suggestions for event catering. For morning breaks, it recommends serving items such as boiled eggs, sweet potatoes, or nuts, accompanied by herbal teas like ginger or rosemary.

For main meals like lunch and dinner, the recommendations focus on three core components. The first is a starch, which should be chosen from indigenous grains like finger millet or sorghum, or from root crops like yams.

The second is a selection of vitamins and minerals from organic or indigenous seasonal vegetables and fruits. The third is a protein, with a strong preference for vegetable sources like legumes. While other meats are permitted, the guidelines specifically advise against serving broiler chickens.

In a significant shift, the guidance calls for a complete move away from fizzy drinks. Instead, event organisers are asked to provide drinks made from local, natural ingredients. The rules also ban bottled water in plastic, advocating for clean, safe water to be served from jars and poured into glasses.

The My Food is Zimbabwean Alliance was launched on 20 June 2024. Its main purpose is to bring like-minded organisations and individuals together to increase the production, processing, consumption, and marketing of indigenous and exotic foods grown in sustainable, organic, and agroecological ways. PELUM Zimbabwe serves as the Secretariat for the Alliance, with the Community Technology Development Organisation (CTDO) as its chair.