ON May 16 2013, President Robert Mugabe launched the Food and Nutrition Security Policy (FNSP) whose goal is to ‘promote and ensure adequate food and nutrition security for all people at all times in Zimbabwe.
This is particularly of importance among the most vulnerable in line with our cultural norms, values and the concept of rebuilding and maintaining family dignity’.
Food and nutrition security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs for a healthy and productive life.
On the other hand, food and nutrition insecurity leads to malnutrition, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired mental and physical development, reduced productivity and poverty, resulting in compromised respect and dignity.
With the success of the Command Agriculture Programme, food security in the country is guaranteed.
Commitment to ensuring food security is in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET) which has identified Food Security and Nutrition as one of the four clusters and pillars of the national food agenda.
More recently, the Ministry of Health and Child Care came up with the policy of food fortification.
Food fortification is the addition of vitamins to foodstuffs to enhance their nutritional value.
But while food fortification is a noble idea and beneficial to the nation, we should not underscore the need to promote the growing and consumption of traditional foods.
The promotion of projects that enhance food security at community level must be prioritised.
Initiatives such as the Midlands Provincial Food Fair, recently hosted in Kwekwe, are a good example of how the nation can promote the growing and eating of natural foods that are critical to health.
The empowerment of women in the farming and processing of traditional foods for families will ensure that households are less burdened and are not under pressure to acquire fortified foodstuffs.
Women, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), provide the majority of southern Africa’s agricultural muscle and produce up to 80 percent of the foodstuffs that are produced in their communities hence the need to encourage them to value-add traditional and organic foods to reduce the importation of modified foodstuffs.
The Kwekwe food fair should be used as a model to encourage other provinces to produce and eat healthy foods.
People in communities such as Binga must be supported to increase production of their traditional foods.
Traditional foods consumed by the BaTonga are rich in nutrition, nourishing and to an extent have herbal and therapeutic value.
Certain foods of the BaTonga help them keep warm during winter as some of the food is laced with traditional medicines to boost immunity.
The community’s staple food is millet (mhunga) which they grind with a pestle and mortar or grinding stone until it turns into fine flour, which is then used to make sadza, porridge or pancakes.
The sadza is eaten with different kinds of relish ranging from dried baobab leaves, okra, special soups prepared from tubers and sweet potatoes as well as tomatoes and fish.
Fish is an integral part of the BaTonga diet.
The different kinds of fish caught from the Zambezi River are eaten on different days, depending on the family’s dietary preferences.
Certain fish species such as eel and tiger are eaten on special days, while breams and kapenta can be eaten on any other day; the same goes for goat and chicken meat.
During the dry season, the BaTonga rely on a certain bean-like delicacy, called busika, which falls from trees.
Though sour, it is a delicacy mixed with porridge or eaten raw.
It is also believed to boost the virility of men.
The BaTonga rarely resort to Western medicines or fall sick as their medicinal requirements are mostly met in the traditional foods they consume.
Children and babies are fed from the sour porridge which acts as an anti-malarial drug and protects them from other fevers endemic in the valley.
Porridge made from baobab fruit is also given to the children as it boosts their immune system.
There are also various myths that surround the foods of the BaTonga community.
For example, BaTonga chiefs are supposed to eat tortoise meat as it is believed to prolong their lives.
Fish eagles are also eaten by hunters who believe the fish eagle’s sharp eyesight enables hunters to spot game from a long distance.
The fish eagle is also believed to keep hunters awake and alert at all times.
Young women are encouraged to eat locusts, termites and crickets which are said to increase their iron levels resulting in strong bones.
These are also believed to enhance fertility.
While food fortification is a noble exercise, equally important is the promotion and production of traditional foods which have for long been known to boost immunity.