My Food is Zimbabwean Alliance charts a new course

BY STEVE EPHRAEM

THE My Food is Zimbabwean Alliance (MFZA), an affiliate of the My Food is African initiative, is poised for increased action in the coming years. Launched on June 6, 2024, in Harare, the 26-member Alliance is committed to promoting Zimbabwean food systems.

On November 28, 2024, Alliance members gathered in Harare to review progress made since its inception. The meeting featured presentations from four technical working groups: Celebrations & Festivals, Influencing Policy, Marketing & Commercialisation, and Reaching Young People.

Each group shared its achievements and outlined plans for the next three years. A key take-away from the meeting was the importance of collaboration and mutual support among Alliance members, rather than competition.

During the meeting, the Marketing and Commercialisation technical working group highlighted the devastating loss of indigenous seeds in Zimbabwe following a fire that gutted the traditional Mbare market. The group emphasised the need for farmers to protect and preserve the remaining indigenous seeds.

As the My Food is Zimbabwean Alliance looks to the future, it is clear that the organisation is committed to promoting and preserving Zimbabwean and African food systems, and to supporting the farmers and communities that are at the heart of these systems. Membership is open to individuals and organisations that buy in the consumption of Zimbabwean food.