Zambia, rich in forests covering nearly 66% of its land, is playing a proactive role in the global effort to combat climate change through REDD+ initiatives, in alignment with the UNFCCC commitments. While facing challenges in documenting emission reductions, Zambia is taking bold steps to overcome these obstacles by intensifying efforts at community and jurisdictional levels, with a particular focus on the North Western province.

With support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the UN-REDD Programme and Center for International Forestry Research – World Agroforestry Center, Zambia is actively enhancing its understanding of relevant non-wood forest product (NWFP) value chains in the North Western province, aiming to generate low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways, in which forests will be preserved and revalorized and related livelihoods of local forest communities will be enhanced.

A CIFOR-ICRAF survey found that people in North-Western province collected at least 95 NWFPs in 2021. The pre-selection process to define those with the most potential for development began in March 2023 with an expert workshop in Solwezi. From the initial list of 95, workshop participants utilized criteria such as market demand, sustainability, livelihood impact, and availability to identify a list of 15 products with significant potential.

A comprehensive value chain selection methodology, involving 22 consensus-defined criteria across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, was then used to further reduce the list to five priority forest value chains that would receive more intensive study.

Data collection was a vital aspect of the selection methodology, with FAO/UN-REDD and CIFOR-ICRAF conducting a field survey in five North Western province districts, including focus groups discussions with 110 male and 50 female participants as well as conducting 66 market vendor interviews in Lusaka. The fieldwork was supported by CIFOR and FAO technical experts, and led by Musonda Kapena, a co-founder of the Namfumu Conservation Trust.

Data collection wasn’t without challenges, mainly due to poor road infrastructure and inaccessibility during the rainy season from October to April. The rich linguistic variety in Zambia, which includes seven formally recognized languages and a total of 72 indigenous languages, also made identification of NWFPs a bit more challenging given the variety of different words for the same products. However, the research team’s commitment played a crucial role in overcoming these obstacles: “While gathering data, I used the ethos of Hearts and Minds and the fact that I am female made the relationship building so much easier to interact with the local women and older people,” notes Musonda. “Being a local Zambian woman helped me contextualize sub-cultures of the local communities and understand the indigenous knowledge systems.”

Five NWFPs were selected on the basis of their weighted scores for the different criteria: bee products, mushrooms, ntungulu (wild fruit), kiswita (wild vegetable), and lenga lenga (wild vegetable) with the following key findings highlighted:

• Availability and access: While assessing accessibility and availability of NWFPs in the North Western Province of Zambia, researchers found that most products were widely known in the province, but some products, like katoto and musebo (specific species of wild mushrooms), are only available in certain villages.
• Regulations and access: Apart from government regulations on levies for product conveyance, there were few official rules governing NWFPs. Locals enjoyed free access, while outsiders needed permission from local authorities. In one site, an influx of outsiders led to a competitive scramble for resources, highlighting potential challenges in regulating access, especially when it is perceived as common property.
• Gender and age dynamics: Women were actively involved in collection, particularly for raw honey and busefwe (a wild mushroom), while men dominated the processing of certain products like rattan. The study also revealed nuanced definitions of youth and children in the community, impacting their involvement in harvesting.

Gender roles also varied among villages, influenced by factors like education, presence of retired civil servants, religious affiliations, single-parent or married households, and the distinction between new migrants and indigenous residents: “All these are factors that create variations in the manner in which management of the village affairs are done in terms of sustainable or non-sustainable harvesting processing and the use of NWFP at domestic level and for sale,” noted Musonda. 

• Household participation and selling: Raw honey and busefwe were the most collected and sold NWFPs. Women were primary sellers, except for honey, rattan, and thatching grass, where men took a more active role. Children were also involved in selling specific products, which requires that future work pays attention to child labor to ensure it does not affect their education or health.

“Children are often sent out to collect wild fruits proximate to their communities,” says Musonda. “Children also escort older women and men into the forest to gather and collect wild fruits and mushrooms, intending to learn survival skills and to help carry loads back to the village.

• Market demand and supply: The potential economic impact of increased commercialization was highlighted. Raw honey and busefwe were identified as products in high demand, with potential for increased sales. Vendors expressed preferences for honey products, indicating the potential to further develop the market.
• Sustainability challenges: Concerns surrounding sustainability challenges, particularly related to environmental practices, included fire management, improper harvesting practices, and cutting down trees. Participants suggested solutions such as early burning, selective harvesting, and the creation of bylaws to promote sustainable harvesting practices.