Food in Mozambique

Around 80% of rural and peri-urban households are connected to agriculture. Mozambique had about 4.5 million agro-pastoral holdings in 2023, and 98.3% were smallholdings. Most farming depends on rainfall. Cassava is especially significant in the north, maize in the centre and south, rice in central areas, and fish and other seafood along the coast and near lakes. Formal agriculture, fishing, aquaculture, processing, markets and restaurants exist alongside household and community-based food production. Small-scale fishing provides income or food for about one in five households. The 2026 fisheries target is 549,533 tonnes, with 512,964 tonnes expected from small-scale fishing and 10,644 tonnes from aquaculture. Common foods include maize, rice, cassava, sorghum, peanuts, sesame, cowpeas, beans, sugar cane, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, moringa, eggs and leafy vegetables. Xima or upshwa is a firm porridge made from maize or cassava flour and commonly served with fish, meat or vegetables. Matapa combines cassava leaves, peanuts and coconut and may include crab or shrimp. Mucapata uses rice, coconut and feijão oloco and is associated with Zambézia. Other recognised foods include frango à zambeziana, xiguinha, badjias and maheu. Coastal cooking often uses coconut, peanuts, piri-piri, prawns, lobster, crab and squid. Chambo is associated with inland waters around Lake Malawi. Maputo and provincial capitals offer national and international food in restaurants and bars, while shared family and community meals remain a common form of hospitality. Food access depends on harvests, market connections, household production, income and shocks. Drought, floods, cyclones and conflict can create local shortages. A 2026 flood emergency affected about 700,000 people, and WFP reported about 2.7 million people facing food insecurity. No universal national food benefit is established in the available information; WFP food or cash assistance is targeted and depends on crisis conditions and funding. Prices therefore differ sharply by region and season. In June 2026, maize prices fell 14% month on month in the south, while Chókwè was 20% above the previous year and 35% above its five-year average. Maputo was 13% below the previous year but 25% above its five-year average. Southern rice prices in March 2026 were about 40% above the five-year average. Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional, usually shortened to SAN, covers reliable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. SETSAN monitors and coordinates this area, while the Ministry of Health contributes the health and nutrition component. PESAN 2024–2030 aims to make diets more affordable, safe and diverse. Current population indicators include chronic malnutrition affecting 37% of children under five, acute malnutrition at 3.8%, anaemia affecting 52% of women, and overweight affecting 3% of children. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended from birth to six months, followed by complementary feeding from six to 24 months; only 14% of children aged six to 23 months met the minimum dietary-diversity measure in the cited UNICEF data. These figures describe population conditions and do not replace individual medical advice. National food-based dietary guidelines were still under development in September 2026. Food businesses, markets and institutions must follow hygiene and safety requirements. Decree 15/2006 covers hygienic and sanitary conditions for production, transport, trade, inspection, storage and preparation. Decree 76/2009 concerns aquatic food products, and Diploma Ministerial 51/84 sets hygiene requirements for food establishments. Relevant duties include licensing and inspection, safe storage and transport, clean water and preparation areas, food-handler training, and protection against adulterated, counterfeit or substandard products. Restaurants, hotels and schools fall within the covered food-establishment settings. IGSAE was created by Decree 45/2026, and the transfer of inspection functions from the former system is governed by Decree 17/2026; the responsible office and complaint channel should therefore be confirmed locally. Fish controls also involve the National Institute for Fish Inspection, IP. Food production can become more resilient through drought- and flood-tolerant varieties, irrigation, water harvesting, climate-smart or conservation agriculture and lower post-harvest losses. Agriculture loses about 30% after harvest according to the cited FAO 2022 estimate. Fisheries measures include co-management councils, community fishing areas, mangrove, seagrass and coral protection, and better cold storage. Smoking, freezing and sun-drying can extend the usable life of fish when hygiene is maintained. AgriConnect prioritises maize, rice, beans and tilapia value chains, including smallholder formalisation and sustainable irrigation.