The Eastern African subregion will continue to be the hotspot of hunger and malnutrition unless concerted measures are taken as climate change and conflicts continue to be the major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition in Eastern Africa.
Climate Change and Conflicts are leading to a breakdown of agrifood systems, resulting in the loss of rural livelihoods, income and ecosystems.
In December 2024, Parliamentarians from 8 Eastern Africa nations agreed to promote policies and legislations that boost the production and consumption of African traditional, indigenous, nutritious, forgotten foods, as well as non-wood forest products.
They were aiming at empowering communities to withstand severe food insecurity and malnutrition, parliamentarians, drawn from Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The legislative arms of two Regional Economic Communities which is the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD-IPU) outlined actions that help ensure better nutrition through the promotion of climate-resilient indigenous crops and livestock species.
The Eastern Africa Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (EAPA-FSN), in its 6th General Assembly and capacity development activity, recapped the fact that the Eastern Africa subregion continues to be the epicentre of drought, malnutrition and famine, leaving millions of people including smallholders, pastoralists and fisheries, in dire conditions.
Subsequently, the members of the Alliance called for urgent action that would propel positive changes in the lives of vulnerable communities through the advancement of legislative actions for the production and widespread use of indigenous foods and non-wood products.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt Hon Anita Annet Among in her keynote remarks, delivered by , Member of Parliament for Gomba West County Hon Robina Gureme Rwakoojo pointed out that the Assembly was at a pivotal moment in the history of food security in Eastern Africa.
“Across the subregion, millions continue to suffer from malnutrition in all its forms – from undernutrition to obesity and from micronutrient deficiencies to diet-related diseases. These challenges are compounded by climate change, which is increasingly affecting food production, and making the food systems less predictable and more fragile,” Hon Among noted.
In response to these challenges, Hon. Among asked Parliamentarians to turn the rich diversity of indigenous foods that our ancestors have cultivated and consumed for centuries saying that these foods are often more resilient to the changing climate, require fewer external inputs, and hold immense nutritional value.
The Chairperson of The Eastern Africa Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (EAPA-FSN) and an active member of the Kenyan Parliament, Hon Adan Haji Yusuf, emphasized the pivotal role of Parliamentarians in the fight against severe food insecurity and malnutrition.
“The legislative, budgetary, and oversight responsibilities uniquely position fellow members of parliamentarians to elevate the importance of food security and nutrition to the highest levels of the political and legislative agenda. Achieving food security and nutrition necessitates the active participation of parliamentarians, which, in turn, requires substantial support and coordination in the subregion,” Hon Yusuf said.
The Food and Agricultural Organization Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and Representative to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Ms Farayi Zimudzi underscored the pressing concerns over the food insecurity and malnutrition situation in Eastern Africa and she reminded parliamentarians that even though the subregion hosts less than 25 percent of the African population, it accounts for almost 50 percent of the undernourished people in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Transparent and stable policies, legal frameworks, and incentives at country and regional levels are essential to enhancing responsible investment in agriculture and food systems. These legal frameworks can only be enabled if “change agents” are aware of the critical role that responsible investments play in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of eradicating poverty and hunger. Parliamentarians hold a strategic position as they can inform political and legislative agendas to foster more and better investment in agriculture,” Ms Zimudzi emphasized.
Furthermore, Ms Zimudzi reaffirmed Food and Agriculture Organization unwavering commitment to the Alliance in its effort to promote the “right to food” principles and galvanize a just world where the most vulnerable communities in the subregion have access to affordable, nutritious foods.
During its 6th Assembly Meeting, the Alliance re-elected its Executive Body, with members from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda and with the two Regional Economic Communities, EALA and IGAD-IPU, bestowing responsibility to lead the Alliance in its effort to foster a better investment in food security and nutrition.
At the end, the parliamentarians visited the Ugandan National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), which has provided advanced technologies and tailored solutions to farmers in the agrifood systems over the years.
Globally, between 713 and 757 million people faced hunger in 2023, that is 1 in 11 people in the world and 1 in 5 people in Africa, which accounts for about 20.4 percent, or nearly 300 million people and it is estimated that by 2030, about 53 percent of the global population facing hunger will be in Africa.
Members of Parliament (MPs) from Eastern African nations established the Eastern Africa Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (EAPA-FSN) in April 2019 in Arusha, Tanzania and the Alliance comprises MPs from 11 countries: Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. EALA and IGAD-IPU are also members of the Alliance.
The Eastern Africa Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (EAPA-FSN) is a subregional platform that promotes cross-border sharing of experience and best practices to strengthen advocacy work and increase investments and partnerships in the domain of food security and nutrition.
Credit Reporting Adopted from the FAO Organizational Chart 2025.
