*LETS EMBRACE SMART AGRICULTURE*

BY CYNTHIA NKHATA

31/07/2023

Agriculture and food security has a strong attention in Zambia and the Southern Region at large this is evident by the participation of high level decision makers in food security policy.

Agricultural is a central fostering economic growth, reducing poverty, and improving food security in the southern African region.

More than 70 percent of the rural population in Zambia depends on agriculture for the their livelihoods, and regional economic growth has been constrained by poor performance in the agriculture sector.

It's is well known that Zambia has continued being food secure in spite of the ravaging storms that washed away some crops in the just ended rainy season, But What we cannot run away from is that in Zambia over 1.35 million which 10% of the analysed population are experiencing severe food insecurity due to high food prices and climate shocks. This population requires urgent humanitarian action to reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihood, and prevent acute malnutrition. 

Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema acknowledges the urgency of transitioning to greener agriculture practices in order to address environmental challenges. 

He stressed the significant of sustainability in the agricultural sector and mentioned the government's commitment to developing a comprehensive Agricultural transformation support programme that focuses on private sector investment.

Mirriam Chongo of Kaputa village in Northern Province knows what it is like to live on the edge of desperation. Climate change and economic hardship have proved a potent combination for this 47-year-old single Zambian mother of five. Her struggles to keep her family afloat by growing maize and groundnuts after the death of her husband several years ago were dashed by unseasonal weather patterns.

Following the failure of her crops, Mirriam started running a makeshift grocery shop in her village in kaputa Zambia’s Northern Province. But her income – just 300 Zambian Kwacha (USD 15) in a good month – was barely enough to meet her family’s basic needs.

Single women like Mirriam Chongo are among the most vulnerable in Zambia’s patriarchal traditional communities, where age-old customs dictate a woman’s life. This vulnerability is compounded by the ravages of climate change.

Mirriam’s life improved during the past few months after ministry of green economy and environment started providing real-time weather advice, using mobile phones to help female farmers adapt to climate change.

She lost everything during floods, but with new training and support, Miriam has moved from just growing maize to venturing into more than five different drought-resistant crops.

"So most of the farmers here including myself, we grow crops such as sorghum, cassava, sweet potatoes and also millet," Mirriam said. She explained that these crops are climate resilient.

"We have also adapted agroforest where we plant a lot of trees including making our own organic fertiliser, we are not only depending on the artificial fertilisers but we also make our own fertiliser."

Agriculture accounts for 20% of Zambia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs over half of its population of nearly 18 million people.

A year later, Mirriam now has had a total of 30 goats, including additional goats she bought using proceeds from the sale of goat manure. Mirriam sold 10 of her goats and five goat offspring were passed on to help other women. This tiered, multiplier-effect approach capitalizes on initial handouts while promoting solidarity, equity and sustainability within communities.

Two-thirds of the labor force in Zambia is engaged in agriculture, 78% of whom are women farmers.Authorities though want to encourage many women farmers to remain resolute amid the climate change crisis.

"More food can be produced if the country can adopt sustainable agriculture practices such as climate smart agriculture" ActionAid Public social Accountability Alliance project Manager Geoffrey Sinzala has said.

He said by doing this, more crops can be grown on an area of land, and at the same time, more nutritious produce can be grown, resulting in a greater supply of food.

"We are hopeful as ActionAid Zambia that when minister of Finance presents the 2024 national budget in September in Parliament atleast 10% will be allocated towards the fight against climate change, we want to make sure that atleast 10% of the resources is channeled towards agriculture in line with the Malabo declaration," Mr Sinzala said.

*Ecosystems and biodiversity*

Healthy biodiversity and ecosystems, including soil fertility and water provisioning, are the foundation of human wellbeing and sustainable development.

 Nature-based solutions are essential for tackling land degradation and desertification, climate crisis, inequality and poverty, insecurity and migration.Loss of biodiversity and the decimation of key pollinators such as bees weakens the resilience of agriculture and lowers its productivity, and threatens local food production for local consumption and global food markets, as highlighted by the IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production. Biodiversity loss has greatly accelerated over the past 40 years, and we have lost on average nearly 60 percent of populations of species around the world. Among the steepest declines are the pollinators that are essential for 75 percent of global food supplies.

Over the past years ActionAid Zambia has supported small farmers in building climate smart agriculture such as developing markets for climate-resilent crops and improving land management.

Since 2002, Zambia state-run farmer support input program has promoted farmers uptake of hybrid seeds,which cannot be recycled for the next farming season due to intellectual property rights and loss of vigour.

This has led many peasant farmers to focus solely on maize production and become dependent on seed and chemical production companies to replace seeds each year, increasing their food insecurity.

There is need for government to invest and support peasant seeds system and put in place policies that support agroecology this will help the reduce food insecurity.

ActionAid Zambia has supported farmers and villagers in Eastern province, Southern and other provinces to recover their peasant seeds from traditional crops. The seeds can be re-sown every year and are constantly adaptated to changing conditions, which is becoming increasingly important in the context of the impacts of climate change.

Selecting and re-sowing their seeds makes families more independent as they no longer have to buy seeds every year, most importantly, recovering pleasant seeds of traditional local crops has ensured sufficient food and improved nutrition for the farmilies.