Sustainable farming key to food security

The theme was chosen to raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farmers. It focuses world attention on the significant role of family farming in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, in particular in rural areas.

The latest African Union Report on food security in the continent, and particularly our country, is indeed encouraging. The report also notes that Botswana improved in international rankings, from 47th to 43rd in the world and No 2 after South Africa. This is despite the fact that we live in a desert country that has lately received low rainfall that comes very late in the year, coupled with rising temperatures, which reach over 35 degrees on some days.