The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed a new agreement aimed at strengthening food security and building resilience across Southern Africa, as the region continues to recover from recent climate shocks and rising humanitarian needs.<\/p>\n
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The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Gaborone, Botswana renews a long-standing partnership after the previous agreement expired in 2024. It was formalised by SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi and WFP Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Eric Perdison.<\/p>\n
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The new deal sets out a framework to improve food and nutrition security across the region, with a focus on reducing social and economic vulnerability.<\/p>\n
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Magosi described the agreement as a reaffirmation of a partnership that has grown in importance as countries grapple with the impact of climate change and food shortages. He also highlighted the inclusion of young people as a key focus area, saying investing in youth is critical to long-term stability.<\/p>\n
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Perdison said the partnership would prioritise practical, high-impact interventions to help countries better anticipate, respond to and recover from shocks. He added that the agreement goes beyond individual projects and aims to strengthen systems, helping member states implement regional strategies on development, disaster management and climate action.<\/p>\n
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The renewed co-operation comes as Southern Africa is still recovering from a severe drought in 2024, which prompted a humanitarian appeal of $6.4 billion.<\/p>\n
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Under the agreement, priority areas include strengthening climate-resilient agriculture, improving regional food systems and expanding strategic grain reserves. There is also a strong focus on scaling up school feeding programmes, which already reach around 22 million children, and linking them more closely with local farmers.<\/p>\n
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Disaster preparedness is another key pillar, with plans to enhance early warning systems and support regional emergency response structures, including the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre in Mozambique.<\/p>\n
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The agreement also places women and young people at the centre of efforts to build resilience. It aims to expand youth participation in agriculture, support skills development and encourage innovation in food systems, while also promoting gender-responsive programmes that strengthen women\u2019s role in food production and community resilience.<\/p>\n
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Over the years, the SADC\u2013WFP partnership has contributed to improved data on vulnerability and nutrition, supported school feeding initiatives, and helped develop regional standards for food fortification and local procurement.<\/p>\n
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