Protect, manage and restore nature wisely- Wycliffe

The Permanent Secretary for Environment Joshua Wycliffe says the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the ways in which we produce, process and consume food.

While speaking during a virtual “Action track 3 National Dialogue on Boost Nature-Positive Production, Wycliffe says it touches every aspect of our lives on this planet and global leaders and the UN have worked together to deliver Sustainable Development Goals establish future directions and accelerate actions for sustainable food systems.

He says the Ministry of Environment is promoting a sustainable approach to food production, which discourages deforestation or conversion of habitats that brings nature back into farming landscapes.

Wycliffe further adds as a Ministry, their desire is to see over a period of time – 50 percent of all the area used for agriculture and aquaculture sustainably managed and that the number rises as time goes by.

He says improving the traceability of food and enhancing the private sector and their supply chains to reduce foods from deforestation and conversion is an essential step in driving more sustainable practices.

Wycliffe says by adopting agro-ecological practices, such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry and regenerative agriculture, they can restore and maintain ecosystem services like soil health, flowing waterways and the sink carbon, while also helping close yield gaps.