US$15.7m to fight Namibia’s malnutrition crisis

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Namibia officially signed the FAO Namibia Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2025–2029 on Monday, marking a renewed commitment to transforming the country’s agrifood systems amid deepening food insecurity.

The five-year framework outlines three priorities: strengthening policies, institutions and data systems governing agrifood sectors; driving economic recovery and value chain development; and advancing sustainable development and green growth.

Speaking at the ceremony, FAO Representative ad interim Dr Patrice Takoukam described the document as “a declaration of shared intent”, pointing to alarming food security figures that underscore the urgency of action. According to Takoukam, 57.2% of Namibia’s population currently experiences moderate or severe food insecurity, while nearly one in five Namibians is undernourished. More than one in five children under the age of five is stunted.

The country also remains heavily dependent on food imports, currently sourcing between 50% and 80% of its requirements from abroad. Smallholder farmers, who make up over 70% of the agricultural sector, have largely been left behind by declining public investment – Namibia’s Agriculture Orientation Index has fallen from 0.54 in 2001 to just 0.26 today.

The CPF is guided by FAO’s global “Four Betters” vision – Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life – each addressing specific challenges facing Namibia. On nutrition, the framework highlights a triple burden of malnutrition: childhood stunting, micronutrient deficiencies among women, and rising diet-related diseases in urban areas.

In 2024, only 62.3% of women aged 15 to 49 met minimum dietary diversity standards.

Environmental concerns

Environmental concerns also feature prominently. Namibia’s forest cover has declined from 10.3% to 8.4% of land area since 1990, while rangelands, fisheries and scarce water resources face mounting pressure from climate change.

The framework carries a total resource requirement of US$15.7 million, of which US$6.8 million is already secured, leaving a funding gap of US$8.9 million. Takoukam acknowledged the challenge of closing that gap at a time when global development aid is contracting, pledging to pursue bilateral and multilateral channels, climate finance instruments and UN joint programmes to secure the remaining investment.

Several partnerships are already operational under the framework. These include a South–South Cooperation initiative with China focused on crop production, poultry and aquaculture; an EU-funded regional pest and disease surveillance programme; and a Japan-funded drought resilience project targeting 6 000 youth- and women-led households across five Namibian regions.

Takoukam concluded by emphasising that the framework ultimately serves Namibia’s most vulnerable – smallholder farmers, stunted children, drought-affected youth and coastal fishing communities.

“FAO stands committed, unreservedly, to the full and effective implementation of this Country Programming Framework,” he said.