By Faith Chimutsa
This year World School Milk Day was celebrated under the theme, ” Dairy gives you GO for a healthy me and healthy environment” which focuses and showcases how dairy makes a difference in the health status of the school learners by getting the learners and teachers involved through a school driven campaign.
Harare schools gathered to celebrate World School Milk Day and Plastic Free July School Competition Awards Ceremony at Harare High School in Mbare on Friday.
Speaking at the double event, Primary and Secondary Education minister Dr Torerayi Moyo aplauded the event on milk and environment as he said it comes at a time when Zimbabwe seeks to meet the world standards on environment conservation.
Milk is an important part of a healthy balanced diet, and this World School Milk Day provides the perfect opportunity to spread the word. ” Let me applaud the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for initiating the World School Milk Day in 2000 to celebrate the health benefits of school milk programmes”, the minister said.
The dairy community understands that milk and dairy foods are essential to supporting the health of children worldwide. Adding milk with meals is an easy and delicious way to get the 13 essential nutrients your body needs. Dairys unique combination of nutrients plays key roles in preventing heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and weakening of bones. According to research, most milk alternative drinks have only half the nutrients of real milk and cost nearly twice as much.
” I am happy to report that my ministry is working together and in partnership with organizations across all levels, from local and regional to national and global, including the dairy community to empower stakeholders to understand and incorporate policies and programs like school feeding program. The feeding programs have been identified as important social protection mechanism as they provide good nutrition and education to children, as well as are able to support local economies. Organizing these programs sustainably needs careful preparation, monitoring and evaluation”, Dr Moyo said.
The local dairy sector through the Dairy Processors Association of Zimbabwe in collaboration with an international packaging material suppliers Tetra Pak have come up with a scheme to promote and improve effective food safety. The scheme has seen a collaborated effort between local environmental organizations which include the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Recyclers Association of Zimbabwe with the schemes initial recycling goals aimed at recovering post-consumer packaging. The objective is to create awareness and conveying important educational messages about nutrition and environmental care in a dynamic way.
Environment friendly methods are by law required to be observed when disposing of waste material. Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the local dairy players have taken steps to ensure that waste material from their operations undergoes treatment before its disposal or is recycled for reuse. This was after the realization that there was no way they can promote such a healthy product on one hand whilst polluting on the other hand. Nutrition, agriculture and sustainability are no longer separate conversations. Everyone can play a role making choices on the farm, factories and in homes that help us preserve environment for future generations.
Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary, Dr Obert Jiri addressing on the occassion said the event brings together government, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders in the Education, Agriculture, Environment and Health sectors who are working towards ensuring provision of adequate and safe quality milk products to our nation and the region and ensuring that all the processes are done in environmentally sustainable manner.
” Zimbabwe is an agro based nation and among several sectors, the dairy sector plays a very critical role in the realization of the Livestock Growth and Development Plan of the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy. Livestock production and development support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal number 2 (SDG2) which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. This is in line with the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwes Vision 2030 which targets to achieve an Empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030”, Dr Jiri said.
”It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the responsibility that my Ministry has in provision of the safe, quality and affordable food groups that are used in the schools feeding program and would like to assure my colleagues from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health that my Ministry is geared up to ensuring ‘’Food Security Everywhere, Every day,”. To the parents and learners in the school feeding programs, I happy to report that the food that is used undergoes quality monitoring which is carried out through collaborated effort by the regulatory departments within the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Ministry of Health and Child Care.”, he added.
” Despite the agricultural sector playing a pivotal role in provision of food security and nutrition, the sector also contributes to pollution of the environment through agricultural waste material as well as packaging material. I am very happy with the collaborated efforts that we are witnessing today between producers of food, the consumers, the environmental management agency and the recycling industry, all coming together to promote sustainable economic practices that help preserve our environment”, he revealed.
Dairy Processors Association of Zimbabwe chairman Themba Mutsvairo giving his remarks on behalf of the local diary industry xpressed sincere gratitude to all came o join the country in celebrating winners of the Plastic Free July Schools Competition and commemorations of the World School Milk Day.
” As such, we also take this opportunity to celebrate the revival, growth and success of milk production in our country and prospects of milk products being consumed by school children.The dairy value chain recognizes the significance of this event in the broader context of environmental awareness and sustainability efforts in Zimbabwe”, he said.
Enjoying school milk is a memory some of us share. Data from the International Dairy Federation shows that at least 160 million children around the world currently receive and benefit from receiving milk at schools. The value of milk in childhood nutrition and development is well recognized, illustrated by countries around the world celebrating World School Milk Day.
The Plastic Free July competition was launched in May 2024 with the objective of encouraging a reduction in plastic usage and promote eco-friendly practices among communities, particularly among the youth. The dairy sector identified students playing a very significant role in championing a cleaner and greener Zimbabwe through their participation in this initiative.
” The local dairy value chain has taken steps towards reducing carbon footprint through sustainable dairy practices which include; the use of new products with enhanced environmental benefits, recycling of water and management of manure to reduce water and carbon foot print, and use of clean energy (bio energy, solar energy)”,
Dairy processors in collaboration with private partners such as Tetra Pak have introduced a scheme targeting dairy packaging carton waste and other post-consumer waste where there is an opportunity to get paid for the waste carton material which is aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating these types of waste from Zimbabwe’s streets and landfills. Educating consumers about proper disposal and recycling methods is another initiative being done in the sector.
” We would like to challenge other private players to enter into partnerships with schools, community groups, and local councils to promote milk drinking among school children as well as waste reduction efforts”, Mutsvairo urged.
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