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Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) assessment and capacity building for Zambia

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©FAO/Luis Tato

Introduction In the search for alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy, FAO has been supporting the Zambian Government in developing and integrating sustainable bioenergy in the agriculture sectors.
Country Zambia
Start date 01/08/2018
End date 31/01/2021
Status Closed
Recipient / Target Areas Zambia
Project Code TCP/ZAM/3701
Objective / Goal The project assisted the country in defining which specific bioenergy pathways can be viable and if and to what degree the identified pathways can assist in meeting the predefined energy targets. 
Partners
  • Ministry of Energy (MoE), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA);
  • Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MFL);
  • Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR);
  • Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection (MWDSEP); and
  • Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA).
Beneficiaries Small-scale farmers, government technical officers and policy-makers 
Activities

  • National experts trained on the BEFS Approach and BEFS Rapid Appraisal tools, and technical  consultations on residues from forest plantation harvesting, wood processing, agriculture, agroprocessing  and livestock production were carried out.

  • A BEFS Bioenergy Assessment was carried out, focusing on the utilization of sustainably sourced crop and livestock residues for rural clean energy solutions or the production of transport fuels.

  • A draft Bioenergy Action Plan was developed.
Impact A body of evidence and knowledge was generated to support the bioenergy policy development process. The report "Sustainable bioenergy potential in Zambia: An integrated bioenergy food security assessment" will greatly aid the Government of Zambia’s efforts to identify economically viable bioenergy supply chains and ultimately develop a sustainable bioenergy sector; as well as indirectly contributing to creating income-generating opportunities for youth and rural communities (e.g. the production or selling of briquettes, supply of bioenergy feedstock). 
More on this topic
Related publications
Sustainable bioenergy potential in Zambia: an integrated bioenergy food security assessment
25/10/2021

This new publication on potential bioenergy options for Zambia describes an assessment of the potential to use bioenergy for electricity generation using off-grid solutions, modern biofuels for cooking and the production of liquid biofuels for the transpo