MAGBURAKA, 22 October 2026 – President Dr. Julius Maada Bio says food security is not just about agriculture, but about national security and national dignity, and Sierra Leone must produce more of what it eats.
The President made the declaration yesterday in Magburaka, Tonkolili District, during the World Food Day celebration and official launch of the third-year report of his flagship Feed Salone initiative at the Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology.
Speaking on the theme “Innovate Today and Nourish Tomorrow,” President Bio said a nation that cannot feed itself remains vulnerable.
“Food security is a matter of national security and national dignity. We must increase local production, strengthen our farmers, and build the capacity to produce more of what we consume,” he said.
He warned that continued dependence on imported food exposes the country to external shocks, drains foreign exchange, and undermines job creation. He therefore called for accelerated transformation through modern technology, irrigation, mechanisation, improved seeds, and emerging tools like drones.
According to him, agriculture must move from subsistence to a profitable business for youth and women, backed by reliable markets, storage, transport and agro-processing to drive industrialisation.
“Today, nearly three of every four cups of rice on our tables come from our own soil,” the President disclosed, citing that severe household food insecurity fell from 28 percent in September 2023 to 13 percent in July 2025, while Feed Salone supported over 22,000 jobs in its third year.
He concluded with a call for collective ownership: “Wetin wi plant, na im wi go eat. Salone go feed insɛf.”
The event was attended by traditional leaders, development partners including FAO, ministers, and farmer groups, and ended with awards to ten agricultural champions across the country.
