Uganda set to host the East Africa Food Security Symposium and Expo

Climate activists have expressed concern over the increasing levels of food insecurity as a result of the climate change.

Over the last couple of months, the country and the East African region have been experiencing unusually longer dry spells that have leg to hunger and starvation.

In view of that, Climate Change Action East Africa (CCAEA),the organizers of the East African food security symposium say technology that can be applicable on farmlands must be adopted quickly.

The guest of honor Minister of Finance Hon. Matia Kasaija , warned individuals who have built houses in wetlands and occupied forest reserves, stating that their time is up.

This while speaking on the side lines of the launch of the East Africa food security symposium and expo at the International University of East Africa.

Kasaija was quick to reveal that the Ministry of Science and Innovation has been tasked to produce innovations that combat climate change in agriculture.

The Executive Director, CCAEA, Okurut Okia said  “us who are slow to respond and are still waiting for rain, we have not planted and when we do, the food does not mature and the next thing you have is food failure and that’s the beginning of the story.”

Experts say food insecurity occurrences signal a failure or absence of strategic response systems including food insecurity threat detection, storage, transportation, distribution, processing, seed preservation and albeit effective utilization of food.

“Right now it has been very hot and every place has been dry but again there has been heavy rains and the concentration of it has caused floods in Pakwach and danger is coming. So Climate change is affecting water systems, land, infrastructure and Agriculture and all those affect food availability.”

“That’s why our theme is linking Climate change to food availability which has a direct impact on food prices and school fees. How then do we now ensure that we become responsible? We want to create awareness at personal, community, national and regional level that climate change does not stop at water but food, so that we are responsible at all those levels.”

His remarks come as Uganda hosts the East Africa Food Security Symposium and Expo, a food security convention organized by the Climate Action East Africa (CCAEA) to raise awareness and discuss the current global trends on food security in light of the rapidly changing global climate conditions.

The 2022 edition of the East Africa Food Security Symposium and Expo , an annual global is set to be held at the International University of East Africa (IUEA) -Kampala, between the 14th to 16th October 2022 at the International University of East Africa, under the theme “Linking Climate Change, Food security, Nutrition and Wellbeing.”