COPPERBELT Minister Elisha Matambo has implored local authorities in the province to lead communities on measures to take in order to enhance food security in the face of climate change.
Mr Matambo said enhanced food security did not only improve nutrition but was also a source for job opportunities. He said this during the commemoration of Local Government week held under the theme ‘Making food security a key priority for territorial development and cooperation’.
He urged councils and communities to ensure that value addition was realised.
He also urged cooperatives to leverage on the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to see how best they could improve income through food production.
“It is important to add value to food by investing in value addition so that crops do not go to waste,” he said.
Mr Matambo also reiterated the Government’s commitment to ensure decentralisation was achieved which would drive development and urged communities to participate in development.
Ndola Mayor Jones Kalyati said the Local Government week was commemorated to inform the public on the importance of local government, decentralization and the progress recorded.
Mr Kalyati said the council was contributing to food security through providing an enabling environment for farmers, traders and consumers to produce, sell and buy food.
“Through the department of public health, we regulate places where food is produced and sold. And through the department of housing and social services we have training institutions that we instruct on food he said.
