Rome – His Majesty King Mswati III has called on governments, the private sector and development partners to urgently scale up investments in agrifood systems to address global hunger and malnutrition.
The King made the call through Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini, who represented him at the World Food Forum held in Rome, Italy. This year’s forum was themed “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future.”
His Majesty said the world continues to face serious challenges in ensuring food security as existing agrifood systems remain inadequate to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.
“The main drivers of global food insecurity currently are a convergence of conflict, climate extremes, and economic shocks,” he said. “These interconnected forces, particularly conflict and climate change, are exacerbating poverty and limiting access to food, pushing millions into severe levels of hunger and acute malnutrition.”
The King warned that conflicts remain the leading cause of acute food crises, displacing populations and disrupting food systems and access to humanitarian aid. He said famine has become a reality in some regions and remains a high risk in others.
Referring to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under Agenda 2030, His Majesty expressed concern that with less than five years remaining before the 2030 deadline, many countries are still off track in meeting their targets.
“I am deeply saddened that we are currently off-track, especially in achieving SDG 2, Zero Hunger,” he said. “To reverse this trend, we must immediately act upon the critical points raised last year, which remain acutely relevant today. This requires a comprehensive and concerted effort across several fronts.”
He called for improved governance and financing, urging countries to implement deliberate and systemic measures that would transform agrifood systems into more resilient and inclusive structures. His Majesty said this includes deploying practical policy instruments and creating enabling frameworks for increased investments.
Turning to Eswatini’s efforts, the King said the country had made significant progress in integrating an agrifood systems approach to transform agriculture into a more effective sector that delivers nutritious food, preserves the environment and creates employment.
He cited investment in water harvesting, bulk water storage and irrigation development as part of Eswatini’s commitment to strengthening the resilience of farming communities. The King added that access to agricultural finance, technology, logistics and cold chain management has been expanded to improve productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.
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