Mozambique Steps Forward in Achieving Food Security

Policy breakthroughs in biotech research in Mozambique and Tanzania have led to approval of confined field trials and a more research-friendly regulatory framework, respectively. The confined field trials will be held at Instituto de Investigação Agrária de Moçambique (IIAM or Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique) research station at Chokwe. Tanzania's stringent policy on placing prohibitive liability to researchers has been favorably revised. Thus, the two countries can engage more in the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project together with other partners. These breakthroughs were mentioned during the WEMA Project Review and Planning in Maputo, Mozambique.

In his speech, Dr. Inacio Mapossé, Director General of IIAM, said that Mozambique's Ministry of Agriculture had changed its name to Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. He emphasized that such was not just a change of name, but also underscored its focus on projects such as WEMA, which are working towards achieving food security. "In Mozambique, you cannot talk about food security without talking about maize," he said. According to statistics, 95 percent of Mozambique's smallholders grow maize and maize covers 40 percent of the land for annual crops.

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