Arusha, Tanzania – Somalia is participating in the 18th Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security, currently underway at the East African Community (EAC) Headquarters in Arusha.
The high-level ministerial session brings together agriculture and food security ministers from across the region to deliberate on urgent matters affecting the sector, including food insecurity, livestock development, and harmonization of farm inputs.
The ministerial discussions are focused on four critical areas: enhancing regional food and nutrition security, harmonizing agricultural inputs across member states, developing the livestock sector, and accelerating the implementation of the EAC Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Programme.
Somalia’s delegation is engaging with counterparts to align on strategies that could help address the country’s persistent food insecurity and build resilience among its farming and pastoral communities. The ongoing impacts of climate change, conflict, and regional trade disruptions have strained Somalia’s food systems, making these discussions particularly timely.
The EAC SPS Programme, which is being reviewed at the meeting, is vital for Somalia as it works to improve agricultural standards and boost exports of livestock and other agricultural products. Livestock remains a cornerstone of Somalia’s economy, and aligning with regional standards could open up broader trade opportunities and improve food safety practices.
Somalia’s involvement in this regional forum underscores its growing integration into East African affairs since formally applying to join the EAC. It also signals the government’s commitment to finding regional solutions to shared challenges like drought, cross-border livestock movement, and input supply chain inefficiencies.
The Arusha meeting is expected to conclude with a joint communiqué outlining policy directions and priority actions for strengthening agricultural cooperation across the region.