Kampala: As Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate World Food Day on 16th October, Government has been tasked to promote and revive traditional food preservation methods.
Mr. Arnold Atukwase, the Director Food for Soul Foundation; a non-governmental organization (NGO) that promotes food rights says that Uganda is endowed with several food varieties but the challenge of storage undermines efforts to ensure food security.
“We have food as Ugandans only that we still lack modern ways of preserving food because when someone grows Matooke (Plantain) and it is ready for harvesting, when it is not bought or the farmer doesn’t get the market automatically the Matooke will go to waste where we don’t have preservative methods where somebody can turn Matooke into something else which can be preserved for a longer,” adding that the country has enough food that can feed generations but lack better preservation methods.
The national commemoration for this year’s World Food Day will be held in Mukono district under the theme: “Water is Life Water is Food, Leave No One Behind.”
The theme aims to highlight the critical role of water for life on earth and water as the foundation of food.
It also seeks to raise global awareness about the importance of managing water wisely as rapid population growth, economic development, urbanization, and climate change threaten water availability.
The day promotes awareness of hunger and action for the future, people, and the planet. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations designated 16th October as World Food Day in 1979.
Food especially in semi-arid regions of Uganda like Karamoja is becoming a challenge due to the dry nature of the area which has been worsened by climate change and it’s adverse like long droughts. But government through the Ministry of Agriculture is doing its best to promote modern farming methods like irrigation through construction of valley dams where water for human and animal consumption can be accessed.
The Ministry of Relief and Disaster Preparedness also continues to distribute food to the people of Karamoja in times of drought to arrest the situation of food insecurity.