Southern African Development Community AWARE that inadequate food security, poor nutrition, inadequate essential public services, limited reproductive health services, gender imbalances and high levels of illiteracy impact negatively on the quality of life of Our people, and particularly, those living with HIV and AIDS; CONCERNED that the agricultural sector in the SADC region is severely affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic because it largely employs labour intensive farming practices with low levels of mechanization; RESOLVED to reverse these trends and create a SADC region that is free from hunger based on a developed and competitive agricultural sector that is capable of ensuring food security and economic growth; REAFFIRMING Our commitment to ensuring accelerated agricultural development and sustainable food security as a matter of urgency through multi-sectoral strategic interventions in accordance with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, Declaration on World Food Summit 2002 and the RISDP; NOW THEREFORE,DECLARE AND COMMIT OURSELVES TO: Promote agriculture as a pillar In our national and regional development strategies and programmes In order to attain our short, medium, and longterm objectives,on agriculture and food security, and ensure IN THE SHORT TERM (2004 - 2006): 1. Provision of Key Agricultural Inputs (a) establish domestic support measures to vulnerable smallholder farmers to ensure access to key agricultural inputs; (b) institute measures for timeous provision of quality seeds to vulnerable farmers and to encourage contract seed production and to attain regional self-sufficiency by 2006; (c) encourage exploitation of mineral deposits for fertiliser production and make maximum use of available capacity to manufacture fertilizers within the SADC region in order to meet the demand of the SADC region in 5 years time; (d) ensure fair trade in fertilizers and other agrochemicals; (e) endeavour to support tillage services through the promotion of draught power, and the provision of appropriate tillage equipment and affordable mechanisation; Dar-es-Salaam Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in the SADC Region 3