By Andrew Munialo
Pix:GAIN
Members of Parliament of the 12th Parliament are to undergo a two-day training on how to legislate for food and nutrition issues in the country.
The training is organized by the Uganda Parliamentary Alliance on Food and Nutrition Security (UPA-FNS), the Global Alliance on Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in partnership with PELUM Uganda and Action Against Hunger.
Explaining the relevance of the training, the chairperson of the Alliance Peter Okeyo said that the meeting will orient new members of parliament on the nutrition and food security challenges facing the country today.
The meeting comes at a time when the country is getting relief from the food security situation in Karamoja subregion while facing threats of El nino that is likely to wipe out food that will be planted this second planting season, a situation that could worsen the food security in the country.
The training /orientation meeting will take place from Tuesday to the Wednesday the 12th of August at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala
Under the theme “Healthier Diets for a Productive Population,” the workshop will equip Members of Parliament with knowledge and evidence on Uganda’s food and nutrition security situation, relevant policies and legislation, and the critical role of Parliament in improving nutrition outcomes.
According to Damali Ssali the Country director of GAIN, the engagement is aligned with Uganda’s National Development Plan IV (NDP IV) and the country’s agro-industrialization agenda, which emphasize economic transformation through increased agricultural production, value addition, agro-processing, market development, employment creation and increased household incomes.
She however adds that increased production must be linked to improved nutrition outcomes by ensuring that Uganda’s food systems deliver safe, affordable, accessible and nutritious foods.
During the workshop, she said it will link agriculture, agro-industrialization, food processing, markets and healthy diets to ensure that economic transformation contributes to improved human capital, health and productivity.
What the members of parliament will learn from the two-day training
Ssali explained that the MPs will be taken through their role in championing nutrition-sensitive programs and investments related to food security.
MPs will learn how to integrate nutrition considerations into their parliamentary and constitutional work.
There will be a strengthened ad hoc community appreciation for nutrition and health policies and policies and recommendations.
They will also be empowered to promote nutrition education and awareness within their constituencies after they leave their political orientation. And there will be a strengthened parliamentary engagement of the Food and Nutrition Bill 2024.
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