Agrobiodiversity is the subset of biodiversity found within agricultural ecosystems. It feeds us with nutrients vital to our health. It fuels and furnishes our homes. It underpins cultural traditions. It sustains farm productivity in the face of climate change. But agrobiodiversity is rapidly being lost.  Just three crops account for half...

This document sheds light on the ongoing efforts in Eastern and Southern Africa to develop National Agroecology Strategies (NASs), aiming to transform agri-food systems through the promotion of agroecological production practices, and the development of markets, value chains, and consumer demand. The brief offers an unique insight into policy advancements...

Women in agrifood systems in low- and middle-income countries are more likely than mento be adversely affected by climate change. They also have more limited climate-adaptivecapacities due to socioeconomic and cultural factors, such as restricted access to resources,information and technology, discriminatory gender norms, and limited decision-makingpower. This study examines the...

Fee-based agricultural extension programmes have been proposed in response to the constraints of funding public extension services. This has piqued researchers' interest in determining farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for extension services in recent decades. The current study examines farmers' WTP to ensure the sustainability of plant clinics. Smallholder farmers...

Under the “Sustainable, resilient and inclusive food systems development Programme”, funded by the global Flexible Multi-Partner Mechanism (FMM), FAO has supported the Government of Zambia and the soybean industry in preparing the soybean value chain analysis and upgrading sector strategy for 2023-2028. Hand-threshing, a widespread practice that undermines socio-economic benefits. The analysis...

This agrobiodiversity case study (No.6) from Zambia is the sixth of six case studies prepared by forest and farm producer organisations (FFPOs) for the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF). It describes the actions of the Choma District Tree Nursery and Growers Association (CDTNA). CDTNA represents 111 members, either individual nursery growers...

Humans depend on a thin planetary ‘skin’ made up of life in all its diversity: biodiversity. Agriculture now covers the largest portion (46%) of the global land surface area; its ecological health and resilience in the face of changing climate is therefore critical to human survival. The biodiversity found within...

It all started on the day when I escorted our country director to Rufunsa District, which is located in Lusaka Province in Zambia. We were off to meet the village Chieftainess Mphashya, to talk about our intentions to build a community seed bank in her chiefdom. We were met with...

Maize production in Zambia must increase with a view towards improved food security and reduced food imports whilst avoiding cropland expansion. To achieve this, it is important to understand the causes behind the large maize yield gaps observed in smallholder farming systems across the country. This is the first study...

The Family Farming Knowledge Platform in collaboration with the Barefoot Guide Connection organized a series of “writeshops”, writing classes to support practitioners to write their own experience, generating knowledge which highlight the practices, changes, innovations and impacts of what they do in support of family farming. These writeshops represented an opportunity...

  On a working day of June 2018 under my previous organization, I visited Shibuyunji district to conduct my usual technical support to the extension staff as well as project beneficiaries. Having had a short meeting with the extension staff, we immediately proceeded into the field to conduct on-site visits. I...

In a significant move to enhance agricultural diversity and support local farmers, Zambian Breweries Plc has kicked off the 2023 cassava harvest season in Luapula Province. Cultivating cassava in Zambia faces several challenges, including limited knowledge of best agronomic practices, inadequate processing and market infrastructure, limited access to credit and financial...

AS A way of taking meaningful action against the climate crisis, Zambia in 2018 launched the Plant A Million (PAM) trees initiative.The ambitious initiative was aimed at planting two billion trees by 2021 and the plan was in line with the country’s Seventh National Development Plan (2017-2021) which sought to...

This brief aims to promote in a holistic way crop diversification with improved varieties in Zambia, to leverage investments by the private sector. Because of the diverse functions and market conditions of different crops, crop diversification is often considered a risk management strategy for smallholders. Diversification strategies differ in their...

About the SAFE project The Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) project is dedicated to the preservation of forests through the promotion of sustainable agri-food systems. SAFE operates in six countries – Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Zambia, Vietnam and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – supporting the transition to deforestation-free,...

Herbicides are on the rise across the developing world. Herbicides may come with several advantages but can also undermine environmental and human health. In the quest to assess the trade-offs of herbicides one aspect has received limited attention: the role of edible weeds, which can be key elements of rural...

This report provides a collection and analysis of six case studies which introduce trailblazing shared label initiatives by smallholder organisations across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each case study explores the motivation for collective marketing action, the choice of claims to make through a shared label, the control over the...

The report identifies the irrigation potentials, gaps and needs that exist at national level for paddy rice production. The analysis carried out in the outlook will form a basis for enhancing water resources management in paddy fields. The report addresses all stakeholders involved in the sector, including technicians, researchers, and...

This report focuses on the technical and policy measures to address existing challenges, and outline gaps in the implementation of policies to improve agricultural water use efficiency and enhance management in paddy fields in Zambia. It promotes the formulation and deployment of an effective system for the development of the...

On a working day in June 2018 under my previous organization, I visited Shibuyunji district to conduct my usual technical support to the extension staff as well as project beneficiaries. Having had a short meeting with the extension staff, we immediately proceeded into the field to conduct on-site visits. I...