LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-A national dialogue on food system trends for One Health, integrating the health of the environment, plants, animals, and people, is currently underway in Lilongwe.
The event is organised under the Food Systems Transformation in Southern Africa for One Health (FoSTA-Health) project, a regional research initiative focused on making food systems healthier for both people and the planet.
The FoSTA-Health project brings together around 20 partners across Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Its main objective is to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of food systems through research, collaboration and innovation.
This timely dialogue is taking place just days before the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4), scheduled for 27 to 29 July 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy, the summit will provide a global platform for reflecting on progress made, strengthening collaboration and unlocking finance to accelerate food systems transformation.
In Malawi, the ongoing discussions are anchored in the national Food Systems Action Tracks.
The dialogue aims to co-develop key policy implications from the discussions, identify knowledge gaps and opportunities, and document actionable pathways to improve practice, policy, funding, and monitoring frameworks.
The conversations are being guided by a One Health lens, with core themes including healthy environments focused on soil health, land use and water management; healthy plants through diversification beyond maize production; healthy animals by promoting sustainable integration of livestock of all sizes; and healthy people by addressing gender, nutrition, and improved coordination in service delivery.
In his opening remarks, Readwell Musopole, Deputy Director of Agricultural Planning Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, stated: “As a Ministry, we reaffirm our commitment to lead and support this agenda ensuring that Malawi’s food systems become not only more productive, but also more inclusive, equitable, and health-enhancing”
He encouraged participants to seize this opportunity to reimagine our roles, deepen collaboration, and commit to integrated approaches that truly deliver on the promise of One Health.
Musopole added, “Malawi is proud to be among the few countries that have taken deliberate steps to institutionalise food systems transformation.”
Dr Andrew Jamali Research Manager at the National Planning Commission added that stakeholders must be more practical and forward-looking by joining efforts, enhancing resource mobilisation and improving governance in the food system.
He emphasised the need for better coordination to ensure that the momentum built translates into real transformation.
Malawi’s actions are embedded in the 5 foods systems priorities: ensuring safe and nutritious food for all, shifting towards sustainable consumption patterns, boosting nature-positive production, advancing equitable livelihoods, and building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses.
These action areas are consistent with global goals but are being localised through initiatives such as the FoSTA-Health dialogue.
The dialogue is being organised in partnership with CISANET and the Ministry of Agriculture, both of which play leading roles in convening and shaping national discourse around food systems.
Cisanetmw Ministry of Agriculture – Malawi Stacia Nordin United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) GIZ Malawi Movement for Environmental Action.