WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform is planning on implementing a project which is aimed at strengthening Namibian food systems to recover from emergencies and disease-related shocks.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) from this month until September 2024 through the Build Back Better Programme.
Speaking at a demonstration event for the project on Monday, the Head of Economic and Development at the Embassy of Japan in Namibia, Takehiro Yamada, said if any positive effects are to be realised in slowing down the current rural-to-urban migration, efforts to ensure that agriculture positively impacts rural communities, should be increased.
‘Increasing productivity and the use of innovative, efficient and climate-smart technologies and practices, rural areas can attain resistance to climate shocks and gain food security,’ Yamada said.
He said the Japan-funded project supports the piloting of modern
and innovative solutions to addressing climate change and shocks. The solutions include solar power pumping and irrigation solutions as well as solar-powered storage to reduce post-harvest loss, as well as the potential practice of geological agriculture in Namibia.
‘Innovation goes hand in hand with capacity building and therefore, all projects funded by the government of Japan are committed to directly impacting beneficiaries through training,’ Yamada stated.
Also speaking at the event was the Director of the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Extension Services in the agriculture ministry, Ben Haraseb, who said the project has the potential to strengthen the resilience of Namibian Peri-Urban economic resistance to climate change through climate-smart agricultural production access to solar technologies, climate information, early warning systems and through adopting food systems.
The project is titled: ‘Strengthening and Building Resilience of Namibia’s Peri-Urban Communities to Climate Change t
hrough Climate-Smart Agricultural Production, Access to Solar Technologies, Climate Information and Early-Warning System.’
It will target 200 households (60 per cent of which should be female-headed) in peri-urban communities, increasing their adaptive capacities and resilience to climate shocks through income-generating activities from the sale of agro-produce and small stock.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency
Despite facing immense challenges, black industrialists have persevered, defying the odds and breaking barriers to create thriving businesses and contribute significantly to the nation’s economic development.
‘Today, we celebrate the power of empowerment. Empowerment that has not been handed out as charity but earned through hard work, resilience and unwavering determination.
‘Black industrialists are not just job creators and wealth generators, they are agents of change, driving social and economic transformation in our communities,’ President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.
He said at the heart of every successful industrialist lies a spirit of innovation and creativity.
‘Whether it is in technology, manufacturing, agriculture or services, they have shown that excellence knows no bounds and that Africa is a continent brimming with untapped potential and ingenuity.
‘None of this progress would have been possible without the spirit of collaboration and partnership,’ the President said, addressing the
Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference at the Sandton Convention Centre.
President Ramaphosa said it was a good moment for the country to reflect on the empowerment journey which is a central part of the changes that have taken place over the last three decades.
‘We have about 1 000 black industrialists present here today. This is a living testimony to the changes that have taken place in the past 30 years, and indeed, over the past five years,’ President Ramaphosa said.
He said empowerment is a historical imperative to provide redress to black South Africans who were discriminated against and excluded under the apartheid regime.
‘Even after the advent of democracy, and the removal of discriminatory laws, the racial features of privilege and disadvantage remained,’ he said.
President Ramaphosa said underdevelopment in townships and bantustans limited access to economic opportunities.
‘Bantu education left several generations without the skills needed to improve their economic situation.
‘Much ha
s changed in our country, but this iniquitous inheritance continues to diminish the economic prospects of many black and women South Africans. It is this inheritance that we are determined to overcome,’ he said.
The President said for far too long, the country’s economic landscape was marked by inequality, exclusion and systemic barriers that hindered the progress of aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those from black communities.
The conference takes place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (B-BBEE Act).
It has shone the spotlight on the achievements, successes, opportunities and strides made by the Black Industrialists Programme since its inception in 2016.
This years’ conference features 53 large companies or procurers making pledges to buy from the growing class of black industrialists.
The conference will culminate with an awards ceremony aimed at recognising the contribution of Black Industrialists towards driving economic grow
th, social transformation and in advancing inclusive entrepreneurship in the South African economy.
More than 200 entries have been received and ten awards will be announced at the conference.
Source: South African Government News Agency