Hand-in-Hand Forum Drives Regional Agriculture

Rutendo Mazhindu- Zim Now Reporter

The Southern African Development Community, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, today opened the Regional Hand-in-Hand Forum in Harare—a high-level platform aimed at accelerating agricultural transformation in the region.

The Forum, which runs from September 10 to 12, brings together policymakers, development partners, investors, and stakeholders to consolidate regional investment cases in irrigation, mechanisation, agro-processing, and trade integration, while also mobilising partnerships and financing.

Since its inception in 2019, the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative has been instrumental in advancing agricultural development through geospatial analysis, data-driven investment planning, and strengthened regional cooperation, reinforced by the 2020–2025 SADC-FAO Memorandum of Understanding.

Officially opening the Forum, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka said the initiative aligned with Zimbabwe’s agricultural transformation agenda.

“This programme is timely and profoundly relevant as it dovetails with our national priorities of climate-smart irrigation, value addition and beneficiation, agro-industrialisation, mechanisation, and trade facilitation,” said Dr Masuka.

He added that agriculture remains the backbone of poverty reduction, industrialisation, food security, and economic growth, and that the Forum provides a critical platform to unlock inclusive regional transformation.

Dr Masuka further noted that the Hand-in-Hand Initiative would strengthen synergies across the region and enable member states to achieve sustainable food security.