The Mozambican government wants the National Sustainable Development Fund (FNDS) to assume a central role in eradicating hunger, combating food insecurity, and creating opportunities for young people and women. The call was made on Monday in Maputo by Prime Minister Benvinda Levi during the inauguration ceremony of the fund’s new board chairman, Dino Foi.
At the ceremony, Levi reminded the incoming chairman that he would be leading an institution with significant responsibilities in the country’s development. She argued that the FNDS must transform Mozambique’s agricultural potential, natural resources, and human capital into concrete benefits for all Mozambicans.
“Mozambique has exceptional agro-ecological conditions. We have the potential to produce food in sufficient quantities to supply the domestic market and even export. We must therefore strengthen food and nutritional security. We can, and must, also generate income for Mozambican families,” she said.
The Prime Minister stressed that “the eradication of hunger must be a national commitment”, involving the government, the private sector, development partners, and communities themselves. She added that food insecurity, which continues to affect several regions of the country, must gradually become a thing of the past.
“It is not just about producing more. We need to transform our food systems. We need to increase productivity. We need to improve market access and reduce post-harvest losses,” Levi said, adding that it is equally necessary to promote agro-industrialisation in order to increase the value added of national production.
The Prime Minister also recalled that extreme climate events recorded in recent years have undermined agricultural production and destroyed infrastructure essential to family livelihoods. In this context, she argued that the FNDS must position itself as a decisive instrument for promoting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development, particularly in rural areas.
Levi further called on the fund to take a leadership role in creating opportunities for women and young people, enabling them to find professional fulfilment without having to leave their communities. She also urged the FNDS to facilitate access to financing for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises operating in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, environmental conservation, renewable energy, sustainable tourism, and the green economy, while ensuring transparent resource management and investment in human capital.
For his part, Dino Foi pledged to familiarise himself swiftly with the institution’s operations and to advance concrete measures to deliver on the government’s directives in the fight against hunger. “My priority is one: to put food on the table for the Mozambican people,” he said.
Source: Diário Económico
