The Sunday News
Sunday News Reporter
THE News Editor of Sunday News, Gabriel Masvora, has come out tops in the inaugural Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) media awards which were introduced this year to promote climate smart agriculture (CSA) in Sadc countries.
His winning entry was an article titled “Composite fodder management, right dose to deal with drought in Mat region” which focused on how a farmer in the relatively dry region has managed to run a successful enterprise despite the growing threats of consecutive droughts due to climate change.
The awards sought to reward journalists from Sadc countries who wrote comprehensive articles focusing on the power supply gap within the member states and how it impacted negatively on productive sectors.
According to CCARDESA, the media engagement was meant to build the capacity of the media fraternity about the climate smart agriculture practices, initiatives, and programmes in the region and to get the media to disseminate the CSA practices and initiatives in the member states so that people are aware of them.
They were also meant to ensure the media act as a link between the knowledge products on the CCARDESA website and the farmers in the member states. The second prize went to Gloria Siwisha from Zambia while the third went to Dickson Mmaba from Botswana. Masvora said he was humbled to win the award and feels journalists could bridge the information gap on issues relating to climate change.
“Every year we are seeing the effects of climate change on our doorsteps but journalists need to do more by writing and talking about these issues so that people can understand and appreciate the challenges Sadc is facing,” he said.
Sunday News Editor Limukani Ncube said the organisation was elated that Masvora’s work has been recognised at a regional forum.
“We are happy as Sunday News that one of us has had his work recognised by a regional body. Climate change is an important area that needs serious attention from the media because it affects our lives, which ever way you want to look at it,” he said.
Announcing the winners during the 10th CCARDESA anniversary which was held virtually last week, Botswana Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Dr Edwin Dikoloti said the media could help to disseminate vital information and knowledge to communities in the different countries on climate smart agriculture and CCARDESA programmes.
In his key note address Dr Dikoloti also said Sadc countries have similar ecologies and cultures, hence the need to come up with regional efforts and share experiences to minimise the effect of climate change.
“CCARDESA plays a vital part in facilitating these exchanges. Moving forward, as we explore how to strengthen these efforts and as we reflect on CCARDESA achievements, it is important to know that our institutions can only be as strong as the support we all accord them.”
According to the Sadc 2020 Synthesis Report on the State of Food and Nutrition Security and Vulnerability in Southern Africa close to 44,8 million people in both urban and rural areas of Southern Africa would be food insecure.
That reflects an increase of food insecurity by almost 10 percent in 2020 compared to 2019.
