RGA/4/6
Sponsored by Kushali Chabada, Pranav Sesha Sai Govindu, Nitin Natarajan, Muhammad Irfaan of Ravenwood High School
The delegates above represented the Delegation of Malawi.
This legislation was filed in the Economic and Financial category
Presented as part of the MUN B 2023 conference
| 1 | To the 2023 General Assembly of the United Nations, |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Acknowledging that agriculture is an important sector in Malawi which represents about 85% of |
| 4 | the population, |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Disturbed by the fact that 5.4 million people are facing chronic food insecurity due to improper |
| 7 | environmental conditions and that up to 70% of the population is living below the poverty line and |
| 8 | only making up to 1.90 USD a day, |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Recognizing the importance of agricultural issues as a primary cause of food security in Malawi, |
| 11 | stemming from factors such as extensive poverty rates and large-scale land degradation which |
| 12 | affects 80% of Malawi’s land, |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Identifying the need for creative and sustainable solutions to these issues which are also |
| 15 | consistent with global sustainable development, notably the goals of zero hunger, adequate food |
| 16 | security, and economic growth, |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Noting that Malawi’s vulnerability to climate change and negative impacts such as the increasing |
| 19 | frequency of droughts aggravate the shortage of food, supplies, and environmental deterioration, |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Demonstrating the importance of local involvement, particularly farmers, in the development and |
| 22 | execution of viable agricultural and ecological strategies to assure social fairness and community |
| 23 | ownership and the continued effectiveness of UN initiatives, |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Addressing the potential for international cooperation in Malawi by recognizing the value of |
| 26 | scientific research, technology sharing and information exchange in promoting agricultural |
| 27 | sustainability, |
| 28 | |
| 29 | Observing the vital significance that rainwater harvesting techniques serve in ensuring that there |
| 30 | is adequate water for farming, specifically in areas where there are major water shortages, and |
| 31 | stressing the importance that these methods play in farming as well as hydroponic farming, |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Taking into account the economic importance that farming has on Malawi, where a large |
| 34 | proportion of the society relies on small-scale agriculture as their primary source of income and |
| 35 | the possibility that cultivation and agricultural expansion and development may help promote and |
| 36 | |
| 37 | Noting the UN’s vast expertise in dealing with global challenges related to land degradation and |
| 38 | food security through specific specialized organizations, such as the Food and Agricultural |
| 39 | Organization (FAO), emergency relief efforts, and especially the World Food Program (WFP) which |
| 40 | offers humanitarian relief services, the providing of food and nutritional aid to nations who |
| 41 | experience severe food shortages, |
| 42 | |
| 43 | Keeping in mind that outside of global efforts, the UN serves a crucial role in assisting regional |
| 44 | initiatives in Africa, as illustrated by the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development |
| 45 | Programme (CAADP) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which primarily focus on food security, |
| 46 | agricultural modification, environmental sustainability and are in line with the Sustainable |
| 47 | Development Goals, demonstrating the UN’s commitment to addressing particular regional |
| 48 | concerns, |
| 49 | |
| 50 | Recognizing the past and ongoing support the UN has provided to Malawi through the various |
| 51 | United Nations bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations |
| 52 | Environment Programme (UNEP) by addressing the crucial needs related to food security, |
| 53 | peacekeeping, human rights, gender equality, virus outbreaks, and sustainable development |
| 54 | goals, |
| 55 | |
| 56 | Understanding the importance of implementing hydroponics, a technique that uses water-based |
| 57 | nutrients instead of soil, as an agricultural method that significantly mitigates water waste, |
| 58 | |
| 59 | Acknowledging the potential in hydroponic farming for drastically lowering the utilization of |
| 60 | agrochemicals and disinfection agents, resulting in economic saving, less environmental harm, and |
| 61 | increased labor efficiency, |
| 62 | |
| 63 | Emphasizes that the implementation of this bill will not only make our country prosper and grow |
| 64 | but will also bring the world closer to meeting the UN’s “17 Sustainable Development Goals” |
| 65 | (SDG), |
| 66 | |
| 67 | The delegation of The Republic of Malawi hereby : |
| 68 | |
| 69 | Encourages the UN to establish hydroponic farms in the Republic of Malawi to help solve the food |
| 70 | insecurity and help boost the economy of the country by increasing their agricultural production |
| 71 | while promoting such systems as an ecologic long-term solution; |
| 72 | |
| 73 | Acknowledges that hydroponic farming uses only 10%-15% of the same water as soil-based |
| 74 | farming, which is essential in a nation with a limited water supply; |
| 75 | |
| 76 | Calls on the UN to support the development of hydroponic farming by funding the construction |
| 77 | costs, equipment, installation of irrigation systems, installation of hydroponic systems, and farmer |
| 78 | training programs; |
| 79 | |
| 80 | Further requests the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) to provide a total of 35 million USD |
| 81 | to set up hydroponic farms in the country of Malawi to help solve their food insecurity and help |
| 82 | boost their economy through agriculture exporting; |
| 83 | |
| 84 | Proclaims that up to 24 million USD of the requested money would be used to set up 2 hydroponic |
| 85 | farms of 1 million USD each, which would be designated in 12 major Malawian cities, namely: |
| 86 | Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba, Kasungu, Mangochi, Karonga, Salima, Nkhotakota, Liwonde, |
| 87 | Nsanje, and Rumphi; |
| 88 | |
| 89 | Allocates a total of 10 million USD from the requested funds that include 6 million USD for labor |
| 90 | costs that cover 2000 workers earning an annual income of 3,472,362 Malawian Kwacha each and |
| 91 | an additional 4 million USD to aid the installation of solar panels across 24 facilities in Malawi, |
| 92 | guaranteeing their ability to supply electricity to operate and maintain these hydroponic farms; |
| 93 | |
| 94 | Draws attention to the crucial water scarcity issue in Malawi and highlights the allocation of up to 1 |
| 95 | million dollars from the requested money for establishing rainwater harvesting wells, a vital and |
| 96 | beneficial step in facilitating the implementation of hydroponic farms; |
| 97 | |
| 98 | Further urges the United Nations to provide Malawi with qualified workers to instruct local |
| 99 | Malawian populations on the maintenance of such hydroponic farms and teach them sustainable |
| 100 | agricultural techniques on preventing continued land degradation; |
| 101 | |
| 102 | Decides that this resolution would go into effect immediately upon it’s adoption by the General |
| 103 | assembly; |
| 104 | |
| 105 |