Policymakers, actors in distribution give inputs to create more resilient food system   |11 August 2021

Consultant Guy Morel (standing, photo right) led yesterday’s session which was also attended by Minister Joubert (Photos: Jude Morel)

A focus group discussion that brought together policymakers, stakeholders and other actors  involved in food distribution and management gathered at the international Conference Centre yesterday morning to give their inputs in preparation of a national paper on creating a more resilient and robust food system.

Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, the focus group discussion was the sixth out of a series of multi-stakeholder dialogues engaging citizens from various walks of life to explore the food system in Seychelles and pathways to better improve and strengthen it.

Pertinent points which are being addressed in the series of dialogues are to be included in a national paper which will be submitted by Seychelles during the United Nations Global Food Systems Summit to take place in September in New York.

The summit is being seen as a critical contribution to the Decade of Action to deliver the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Facilitated by consultant Guy Morel, the discussion was also attended by Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment Minister Flavien Joubert, principal secretary for agriculture Keven Nancy, and chief executive of the Seychelles Agriculture Agency Linetta Estico.

There were also representatives from the Public Health Authority, nutrition department from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, National Assembly, Retailers’ Association, the Seychelles Trading Company and the Seychelles Institute of Agriculture. There was also a United Nations (UN) representative.

“The aim of the summit is to gather ideas from across the globe on ways we can transform the food systems ‒ production and distribution ‒ so that countries can successfully achieve the second sustainable development goal of zero hunger,” explained Minister Joubert.

Minister Joubert noted that, aside from assisting in the preparation of the national paper for the summit, his ministry is hoping to incorporate some of the ideas and opinions raised in the dialogues in the national strategies for food production.

“Prior to today we had similar focus group discussions with farmers and ordinary citizens and these sessions will continue to cover different demographic so that, by the end, we will have a paper that is representative of different segments of the population,” he added.

Once completed the national paper for the UN submit will also be distributed to relevant stakeholders such as the National Assembly which has expressed great interest in the country’s food sustainability and security.

This is to ensure that everyone and every institution is on the same page in regards to what must be done to improve food security in Seychelles.

“There is a lot more to be done in Seychelles, as it has been established in the discussion. The country continues to import the majority of what it consumes. While we have observed noticeable  improvements in the local production of meat and vegetable, there are a lot of things we need to reflect on such as the fact that we continue to import almost all of the carbohydrates we consume ‒ rice and so on ‒ and produce a very little amount locally,” provided Minister Joubert.

He added that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of local producers in food security since they still managed to produce meat and crops for local consumption during the lockdown period.

Elsie Pointe