National stakeholders recognize the need to improve mitigation and adaptation measures in Zambia's livestock systems.

Multiple stakeholders from Zambia's livestock and climate change sectors recently convened to discuss climate actions in livestock systems during a national workshop organized by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock of Zambia. The workshop served as a platform to enhance participants' knowledge of the livestock sector's contributions to climate change and its vulnerabilities and to raise awareness among policymakers and practitioners on these issues.

During the discussion, participants addressed the importance of institutional arrangements, policies and livestock sector data analysis. Moreover, stakeholders critically examined the livestock sector’s strategies for both mitigating and adapting to the challenges posed by climate change in Zambia. “This is the best moment for us to convene this meeting, given the recent launch of the nationally determined contribution (NDC) implementation framework. All stakeholders should engage with this framework as seamless collaboration across sectors is essential to realise the implementation of the NDCs effectively”, stressed Douty Chibamba, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment of Zambia, during his opening remark.

Key outcomes of the workshop:

The workshop culminated in a variety of shared insights and commitments, poised to weave transformative change within Zambia's livestock sector:

1. Zambia is committed to addressing climate change in the livestock sector. A supportive national policy environment is already in place in the country. However, integration of national climate action into sectoral planning and budget allocations for the effective implementation of these measures is needed.
2. Livestock production systems in Zambia offer large opportunities for climate action. By embracing optimal management practices, enhancing animal health protocols, and refining grassland management techniques, Zambia can achieve the low-hanging fruits of mitigation and adaptation actions in livestock.
3. A repository of accurate and high-quality livestock activity data is needed to assess greenhouse gas emissions through a tier 2 methodology and to unlock the sector’s mitigation potential. This mandates an improvement in institutional coordination, data accessibility, and accuracy, all of which underpin the essential framework for monitoring, reporting and verifying (MRV) the efforts made in livestock-driven climate action.
4. Knowledge and awareness of the intricate relationship between livestock and climate change among diverse stakeholders is paramount. Targeted messages are needed to ensure that both farmers and policymakers are equipped with insights to enhance the adoption of climate-smart practices and investments within the sector.
5. Participants have pledged to facilitate the exchange of information and to advocate for climate actions in the livestock sector. FAO will develop a comprehensive country report on “Livestock climate actions in Zambia”. Participants agreed to review a draft of this document and welcomed it as a critical tool for enhancing livestock climate actions and sharing recommendations.

Zambia, livestock, and climate change

Livestock contributes 42 percent of the agricultural sector’s gross domestic product (GDP) and accounts for 50 percent of rural employment in Zambia. The sector is dominated by low-productive and smallholder-owned cattle herds kept in traditional, free-range grazing systems. Despite the nation’s rich endowment of natural resources, including extensive land and water reserves, disease burden and inadequate nutrition are hampering livestock productivity.

Zambia’s temperature and rainfall patterns have changed, and climate change is expected to have a negative impact on the sector due to increased flooding and drought. The country is committed to addressing climate change and has formulated national policies, programmes, strategies and plans to transition into a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. In its NDC, Zambia commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent (20 000 Gg CO2 eq.) by 2030 against the baseline year 2010 under the business-as-usual scenario, with limited international support (47 percent with substantial international support). The NDCs outline three adaptation goals that will also result in mitigation co-benefits, such as the diversification, promotion, and capacity building of climate-smart agriculture practices, including for livestock. The subprogramme also supports the five priority focus areas of the new FAO Country Programming Framework (2022-2027), in line with the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2023-2027) for the Republic of Zambia.

More about the workshop

FAO and the Zambian Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock are implementing the FAO project FMM/GLO/175/MUL on “Scaling-up climate actions to enhance Nationally Determined Contributions and climate and livestock”. The project aims to enhance mitigation and adaptation programmes in the livestock sector, fostering climate resilience, ensuring food security, sustaining livelihoods, and aligning with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The workshop brought together around 30 participants from 20 different livestock and climate institutions, including representatives from public and private sectors, government, academia, farmers, producers and civil society organizations.