FAO and Pan-African Parliament Partner to Strengthen Legislative Action for Food Security and Nutrition

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and with financial support from the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, has launched a two-day capacity development workshop on “Legislating the Right to Adequate Food.”

The training, organized under the Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (PAPA-FSN), brings together parliamentarians from across the continent to strengthen legislative frameworks and enhance their role in ensuring that every African can access adequate, nutritious, and safe food.

The event marks the 20th anniversary of the Right to Food Guidelines and comes as Africa prepares to host the Third Global Parliamentary Summit Against Hunger and Malnutrition in 2026 — a milestone moment for showcasing Africa’s leadership in advancing food and nutrition security.

Opening the workshop, Dr. Ahmadu Babagana, FAO Representative in South Africa, highlighted the urgency of parliamentary action in reversing hunger trends.

“In 2024, over 307 million people in Africa — more than 20% of the continent’s population — were affected by chronic undernourishment. This underscores the urgent need for targeted, inclusive, and region-specific interventions to reverse this trajectory,” he said. “The right to adequate food is not merely a theoretical principle — it is a binding human right and a legal cornerstone for inclusive development. When parliamentarians are empowered with the right tools and knowledge, they become catalysts for change.”

Dr. Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, emphasized the significance of parliamentary engagement in advancing agrifood transformation. “Africa holds extraordinary natural and human wealth. With the right policies, investments, and governance, Africa has everything it needs not only to feed itself, but to nourish its people in dignity,” he said. He commended the Kampala CAADP Declaration, which calls on parliaments to allocate at least 10% of annual public expenditure to agrifood systems and ensure effective oversight. 

“Parliamentarians have the power to legislate, allocate resources, and ensure accountability. Let us seize this opportunity to build momentum, forge partnerships, and lay the groundwork for a successful Third Global Parliamentary Summit and beyond.”

Representing the Pan-African Parliament, Hon. Abdallah Barakat Ibrahim, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, called for unity of purpose:

“We are gathered here today not only to exchange knowledge, but to consolidate a common continental vision — an Africa where every person fully enjoys the right to adequate food without discrimination.”

He added: “Laws, however solid they may be, do not feed people. What counts is implementation, political will, accountability, and resources.”

The workshop provides a platform to advance the domestication of the Pan-African Parliament’s Model Law on Food and Nutrition Security, a key instrument for realizing the right to food across Africa. It will also feed into continental preparations for the 2026 Global Parliamentary Summit Against Hunger and Malnutrition, to be hosted at PAP Headquarters in Midrand, South Africa.

The workshop was technically supported by FAO’s Development Law Service (LEGN), in collaboration with the Parliamentary Support Unit (PSU), to enhance the legal and institutional capacities of parliamentarians in advancing the right to adequate food.

Media Contact:
Luthando Kolwapi, Partnerships & Communications Officer FAO, Luthando.Kolwapi@fao.org 

Jeffrey Onganga, Media & Communications Officer PAP, Jeffrey.onganga@panafricanparliament.org