Zambia and FAO

Zambia and FAO

Partnering for improved livelihoods and climate change mitigation

FAO’s support for Zambia has focused on providing technical and support services to the national agriculture, food security, fisheries, forestry and rural development sectors in line with the country’s Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP, 2011- 2015) and the Revised SNDP which is aimed at achieving the Vision 2030 objective of becoming a middle-income country by 2030.

Matching FAO’s expertise to Zambia’s development priorities

The Country Programming Framework (CPF) brings together innovative international best practices and global experiences/

standards with national and regional expertise during the operational period from 2013 to 2015. It sets out four priority areas to guide FAO’s partnership and support to the Government of Zambia:

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Agricultural policy and framework support, by strengthening the capacity of public sector institutions to formulate and implement policies and frameworks

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Agricultural production and productivity, by increasing and diversifying agricultural productivity and production of small scale producers

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Market access and sanitary measures, by improving smallholder farmers’ access to markets

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Natural resources management, through improved management of land, forests, fisheries and other natural resources

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Promoting nutritionally adequate diets for all people, by improving nutritional status and livelihood resilience of vulnerable groups

The CPF was prepared in close collaboration with key Ministries and Departments including, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and other relevant stakeholders such as the Zambia National Farmers Union, Golden valley Agricultural Research Trust, University of Zambia, Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and major development partners.

Scaling up conservation agriculture

In June 2013, the European Union (EU), FAO and the Government of Zambia launched a four-year,

€11 million programme to increase crop production of over 300 000 small-scale farmers by promoting practices based on conservation agriculture in nine out of ten provinces in the country. The agricultural production of smallholder farmers in Zambia is most affected by soil degradation, high-input prices, poor produce markets and poor farming practices. Conservation agriculture is a way of managing agro-ecosystems aiming to improve productivity, while preserving the environment. It is based on three interlinked principles:

minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation. Tillage is reduced to an absolute minimum, and agrochemicals and plant nutrients are applied in quantities that do not interfere with biological processes, leading to better soil quality and ultimately resulting in healthier crops. Conservation agriculture also provides better resilience against drought, saves labour and prevents soil erosion. It has recently become a preferred means of promoting agricultural development for the 40 percent of the rural population in Zambia who depend on agriculture for their survival.

The project is implemented at community level by providing lead farmers with inputs for implementation of demonstration plots for supporting follower farmers through an e-voucher system. It is enhancing capacities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) staff through training and transport support to improve extension delivery. At national level, there is a national coordination unit within MAL and a steering committee comprising all key stakeholders.

CONtACt

George O. Okech FAO Representative FAO Representation Hse 5, Addis Ababa Drive Ridgeway, Lusaka, Zambia Tel.: +260 211 252568 E-mail: [email protected]

©FAO/Alberto Conti

The project builds on gains made by previous EU-supported FAO activities in Zambia. Between 2009 and 2012, FAO implemented the Farmer Input Support Response Initiative with a contribution of €16.9 million from the EU.

Decent jobs for youth and improved food security through sustainable rural enterprises

Zambia has made significant progress in recent years to develop its economy, but the benefits of high growth of gross domestic product have not been evenly shared by its people. Income poverty and food insecurity, particularly in rural areas, remain major development challenges. Rural poverty strongly affects young people. Registered youth unemployment in Zambia runs at 28 percent in the age group 20-24 years and 16 percent in the age group 25- 29 years, with higher figures in rural areas. Rural youths are very strongly disadvantaged in the competition for the approximately 700 000 jobs in the formal economy since they typically lack the skills, work experience and social networks of their older peers. Opportunities for decent employment are also fewer in rural areas.

The focus of this programme on youth employment promotion in rural areas is meant to support the Government in combating this trend. The development challenge that will be addressed through the joint

United Nations (UN) programme is the facilitation of sustainable livelihoods for youth women and men in rural areas of Zambia through the promotion of sustainable micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSME). The programme will have a focus on the value chain for soy beans and aquaculture, which were identified as ideal rural-based sectors for boosting national food security and providing ample opportunities for youth employment along their respective value chains.

Specific outcomes of the programme include:

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Improved public perception and demand for soy bean products for human consumption, and of rural economy as a source of youth employment, by launching consumer motivation surveys and social marketing campaigns

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An enabling business environment for young entrepreneurs to start and formalize businesses in soy bean and

aquaculture value chains, through policy legal and regulatory review, and increased stakeholder knowledge on best practices in supporting young entrepreneurs

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More young people responding to economic opportunities in soy beans and aquaculture market systems by improving the input supply system, increasing

“Agricultural practices must be adapted to preserve the environment and mitigate climate change.”

José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General

business and finance development services, and improving processing and production technical skills among youth

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Improved coordination and collaboration among

partners along the value chain by creating a coordination mechanism and joint programme for youth enterprise and value chain development

Quick start initiative for participation in REDD+

Forests have the capacity to sequester and store enormous amounts of carbon – in trees, ground litter and the soil. When forests are destroyed or degraded, or converted for another use, they release sequestered carbon into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas, contributing to climate change. Ensuring the sustainable management of forests is critical to global climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Since 1990, Zambia has lost over 13 percent of its forest cover, sometimes as much as 300 000 hectares a year – among the highest deforestation rates in the world. One of the main causes of this is poverty. Poor people are often forced to cut forests in order to have space to plant crops for food, or they use trees to make timber or charcoal that they need for household use or to sell for income. In 2010, Zambia, supported by FAO, began preparations for becoming a partner in the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD). The Programme is now supporting countries preparing national REDD+ strategies – the “+”

being conservation and enhancement of carbon stocks, and sustainable management of forests. REDD+ strategies aim at creating an incentive for developing countries to protect, better manage and wisely use their forest resources, contributing to the global fight against climate change.

As early as the 1960s, FAO assisted the Zambian Government in conducting its first national forest survey. An integrated land-use assessment (ILUA I) was then carried out in 2005- 2008, enabling a baseline to be established for long-term land use and forest monitoring at the national level.

Today, FAO is assisting Zambia in its second land-use assessment survey, ILUA II. With ILUA I, as the baseline, the follow-up will show changes in land use and cover over time, and prove the viability of Zambia’s MRV system in computing forest-based greenhouse gas emissions – two critical requirements of REDD+. As with ILUA I, FAO has provided the technical support in the design of ILUA II, with the intention of assessing approximately 4 000 sampling sites across Zambia with trained teams in order to meet REDD+

requirements.