Situation Analysis
In Zambia, agriculture continues to be an important source of household food security and livelihood, supporting about 85 percent of the population. Agriculture is a vital part of Zambia’s economy and disruptions to the agricultural sector result in increased poverty levels. The majority of farmers in Zambia and particularly the Southern, Central and Eastern Provinces are smallholders, who live in rural areas, depend on rainfed farming and cultivate at a subsistence level (International Trade Administration, 2022). In addition, livestock and fisheries play a crucial role within the agricultural sector by providing food, income, and employment for many rural residents.
Zambia has been deeply and negatively impacted by the effects of climate change, which in Zambia is manifested through rising temperatures, depletion of water sources, droughts, floods, and the proliferation of inversive pests and diseases that adversely impact crop and livestock production. These persistent droughts and flash floods resulting from climate change pose significant risks to food security. According to the Zambia Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plan, it is projected that climate change could cause a reduction in crop yields by 10-40% by 2050 and potentially decrease GDP by 2-4% by 2100.
The climate of Zambia generally follows a pronounced gradient characterized by semi-arid conditions in the south and increasing precipitation in the north. The impacts of climate change—such as increased dry spells and erratic rains — threaten to undermine decades of development gains and future development trajectories in Zambia. droughts and frequent floods), outbreaks of livestock and crop disease, and pests (specifically quelea birds and insects). Unfavourable environmental and climatic episodes often lead to loss of life and assets, and food insecurity thus exacerbating rural poverty.
Zambia has a youthful population with 65% of the population being under 25 years of age and the majority not in education, employment or training. It should further be noted that 70% of agricultural labour is provided by women and girls who are mostly the poorest although they represent 51% and men 49% of the population. In rural areas, poverty is more than three times as high as in urban areas: 76.6 per cent and 23.4 respectively with women being disproportionately affected (Central Statistics Office Zambia, 2015). In addition, women and youths have constrained access to finance from micro-finance and banking institution due to lack of credit credibility and lack of collateral.
Situation Analysis – Eastern Province
The Eastern Province of Zambia is amongst the poorest in the Country with poverty estimated at a rate of 75%, making it the fourth most impoverished province in the country, compared to the 59% poverty level at the national level (World Bank, 2022). 36% of children under five being stunted, the province ranks third behind Northern and Luapula in terms of low height-for-age, an indication of chronic undernutrition and inability to get enough nutrition over an extended period of time (Social Watch, 2021).
The Eastern Province of Zambia is plagued by persistent extreme poverty and hunger. The levels of hunger vary by season; for example, during the major harvest season of April to August, hunger and food prices are lower compared to January and February, when food supplies are at their lowest. In 2020, 56.7% of families faced hunger, a figure that remained unchanged from 2016. Similarly, the pattern of hunger rates across provinces did not change significantly between 2017 and 2020. For example, Vubwi and Chadiza Districts had the highest incidences, with 23.6% in 2017 and 19.9% in 2020 (IAPRI/MAL, 2021). Furthermore, the province has had increased frequency of drought, seasonal and flash flooding, and high temperatures. These occurrences have been more frequent, more intense, and of greater scale. Due to risks and climate change, the agricultural sector confronts difficulties and is projected to become increasingly fragile. According to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) Assessment report (2022), the districts of Chasefu, Lundazi, Lusangazi, Mambwe Nyimba, Petauke and Vubwi Districts in Eastern Province suffered extensive damage to homes, crops, cattle, and agricultural products.
Furthermore, Charcoal and firewood are the main sources of household fuels used in Eastern Province. Approximately 83.6% of rural households use the open fire stoves while 36.3% use a manufactured traditional stove known as Mbaula (World Bank, 2019). Further, the Living Conditions Monitoring Survey (LCMS) conducted by the Central Statistical Office (2012) reveals that 81% of the households in Eastern province used firewood for cooking, followed by charcoal with 16%; and electricity is used by only 3%. (LCMS, 2015). As a result of the above activities, deforestation rates are as high as 250,000 – 300,000 hectares per year. (Wathum et al. 2016; Turpie et al. 2015).
This is largely attributed to charcoal production due to lack of access to alternative energy sources. In addition, women and girls therefore often bear the burden of household fuel collection and food preparation, which require substantial time allocations when fetching firewood or charcoal. The task becomes challenging when tree species suited for use as fuel become scarce leading to walking longer distances in search of the wood fuel which places an extra domestic burden for girls and restricts their ability to pursue education activities, and further increases their risk of harassment and assault as they get further away from home.
In addition, 87.42% of the population live in rural areas with high unemployment rates, lack of skills, lack of Financial Education, limited access to Financial Services (capital) and limited access to formal markets. The results of unemployment include reduced income at household level, increased transactional sex resulting into increased sexual transmitted diseases and rampant criminal activities amongst unemployed youths.
On account of that, the overall goal of CommunityAid Zambia’s Strategic Plan 2024 – 2028 aims to continue working together with the vulnerable communities using Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) with focus on key and strategic priority areas- such as;
- Agriculture & livestock production, Climate Change & Natural Resources Management
- Education
- Health and Child Protection
- Resource Mobilization and Partnership Strengthening as well as
- Humanitarian relief & other cross-cutting intervention and also placement of other productive resources as means to help poor families become sustainable and self-reliant amidst the effects of climate change crisis.
In light of the above, CommunityAid Zambia has over the years previously embarked on the number of development and humanitarian project interventions in order to improve the living standards of the rural people in the vulnerable communities and also to build community resilience through provision of agricultural & livestock inputs & training in Climate Smart Agriculture among others amidst the negative effects of climate change crisis. The following below are some of the interventions executed by CAZ in Eastern Province;
Indigenous-cattle genotype resilience in the changing climatic environment and intensified crop-livestock production systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (Research Project funded by DFG – Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft- through University of Hohenheim in Germany under German Africa Program) – 2024.
Indigenous cattle serve a wide range of functions depending on the socio-cultural, economic and environmental context. Increasing their potential contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as well as the Africa Sustainable Livestock 2050 (ASL2050), requires interventions tailored to the specific needs of the agri-food production systems. Intensification of production can take many forms. However, as was stipulated by the Montpellier Panel (2013), intensification is not a viable solution if it comes at the expense of damaging the environmental and social resources on which it depends. Sustainable intensification strives to utilise the existing resources to produce greater yields, better nutrition and higher net incomes while improving the resources conservation and efficient use, while lowering emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. Possible components of sustainable intensification can be categorized into three major constellations, following the scheme introduced in The Montpellier Panel (2013) report: ecological intensification, genetic intensification, and socio-economic intensification. In this research project, the focus was on indigenous cattle in SSA countries, indigenous cattle are dual-purpose. However, the description used in the study was that which is used in each one of the study countries and as characterised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The environment means, geographical location, climatic conditions the changing climate, available vegetation resources, changing feeding systems, the changing animal and soil micro-biome. The countries involved in the project were; Benin, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia and in Zambia, CommunityAid Zambia led the process and incorporated Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock, The University of Zambia- School of Veterinary Services and smallholder farmers from Central & Southern Provinces. The project provided an opportunity to examine not only different agro-ecological zones, but also different production systems. Nevertheless, the overarching goal of the research project-related was to bring together partners from each of the universities and institutions in the consortium. The objectives of the project related to the initiation of international collaboration were to:
- explore, determine and characterise the current level of intensification in SSA smallholder ruminant systems and benchmark it to pillars of sustainable intensification;
- map out the natural trajectory of future intensification and create scenarios of desired future trajectories in SSA smallholder ruminant systems;
- determine the effect of the different trajectories of sustainable intensification on the resilience of the smallholder ruminant systems in SSA;
- determine the effect of the different trajectories of sustainable intensification on the feed efficiency, rumen microbiome and the production of enteric greenhouse gases such as methane; and
- evaluate at the landscape level the effect of intensification on soil beneficial microbiota targeting nitrogen-fixing bacteria.