AGRICULTURE experts and stakeholders from across Southern Africa have gathered in Dar es Salaam for a five-day food security workshop.

Charles Tulahi, assistant country representative for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), opened the workshop slated for August 11 to 15, bringing together representatives from national plant protection organisations (NPPOs) in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member states.

Organised with support from the strengthening plant health services in Tanzania project funded by the European Union, the event focuses on building the capacity of member states to implement key international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs 4, 6 and 10).

The workshop is aimed at revolutionising plant pest surveillance through cutting-edge digital technologies, to bolster agricultural resilience and food security in the region, underscoring the importance of digital transformation in crop protection:

“This workshop is more than a training—it is a platform for knowledge exchange, regional integration and global alignment. The skills and systems we build here will empower country agencies to implement international standards with precision and confidence,” the FAO executive noted.

Central to the initiative is the rollout of a digital national plant pest surveillance system, integrating Kobo toolbox for field data collection, Microsoft Power BI for analysis and visualisation, and a centralised server for data storage and advanced analytics, he stated.

The system promises faster, more accurate pest detection and coordinated cross-border responses, he said, while Ali Khamis Juma, the Zanzibar principal secretary for Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock, said the initiative is a game-changer for the region’s plant health management systems.

“Zanzibar is committed to strengthening its plant health systems, and we see this digital surveillance model as a unified approach that can be scaled across the region to protect our agricultural economies and biodiversity,” he declared,

Dr Stephen Nindi, the Agriculture deputy permanent secretary, linked the project to the country’s long-term strategy, noting that it is aligned with national development goals under Vision 2050. “By integrating digital tools into pest surveillance, we are not only improving data quality but also empowering our institutions to respond swiftly and effectively to emerging threats,” he further noted.

Marc Stalmans, the European Union delegation’s head of cooperation, praised the programme’s alignment with EU development priorities, affirming that the EU is proud to support efforts that enhance biosafety and agricultural resilience.

“This workshop reflects the kind of innovation and regional cooperation that will drive sustainable development across Africa,” he positively asserted.

The workshop will also explore ways to integrate national surveillance data into FAO’s global platforms, allowing better international decision-making and targeted support for member states, he added.