Ntsoaki Motaung
During the recent World Food Forum 2024 in Rome, Italy, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition Thabo Mofosi urged the secretariat to support the capacitation of stakeholders in strengthening and coordinating policies to tackle the food crisis in Lesotho.
Mofosi emphasised that Lesotho has prioritised the agriculture sector as a key area for investment in response to the ongoing food crisis.
“We seek support for policy development by inviting the secretariat to help capacitate all stakeholders in strengthening coordinated policies to address the food crisis in Lesotho,” he stated.
He noted that from the 2020 to 2023 seasons, Lesotho faced significant challenges due to drought and floods, which severely damaged crops across many regions, resulting in the lowest yields since the 2018/2019 season.
“As a result, socio-economic shocks, including job losses, reduced opportunities for casual labour, rising costs, and high inflation, have significantly diminished household income and weakened the already fragile purchasing power of families,” Mofosi explained.
In light of the current situation, the minister stressed the need for an immediate response to mitigate the impacts and prevent the depletion of productive livelihoods, implementing strategies that alleviate malnutrition rates.
Mofosi highlighted findings from the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis, indicating that approximately 700,000 people are currently food insecure.
“A significant proportion of the rural population, particularly small-scale farmers and households dependent on agriculture, is most affected and is already experiencing food shortages. This is a direct result of decreased production and rising prices, which further exacerbate the risk of food insecurity and malnutrition,” he stated.
He also pointed out that urban populations are severely impacted by price hikes, given that their primary food source is affected.
“Urban vulnerability is significantly heightened by high unemployment rates and already compromised purchasing power,” he concluded.
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