On the 09th and 10th of July, 2012 the Economic Justice Network (EJN) of the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA) organised a meeting on Food Security and its impact on Small Scale Farmers in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. Those in attendance were participants from the National Christian Councils (NCCs) and the small scale farmers who were drawn from SADC countries in which the FOCCISA NCCs work to address both agriculture and food security challenges. The meeting participants formulated a statement to the SADC Heads of States who will be meeting on the occasion of the SADC Heads of States Summit in Maputo in August 2012.

Small scale farmers highlighted their contribution towards food security in their countries and in the SADC region as a whole. They related stories on how they are affected by their countries’ agricultural policies. All the farmers in the meeting expressed concern about the lack of agricultural extension support they are supposed to be getting from their countries’ departments of agriculture.

According to the small scale farmers, their countries’ national departments of agriculture attend more to the needs of large commercial farmers and less on their needs. Another important issue the farmers raised was a lack of engagement in their countries activities on the Comprehensive African Agriculture Programme (CAADP).

Having heard the concerns of the small scale farmers, the EJN reminds the African governments to adhere to the Maputo Declaration of 2003, which was signed by all AU members, which says that all governments must allocate not less than 10% of their national budgets to agriculture. While other sectors of development are also a priority governments must remember that food security is also a key component to stability, growth and development.