The Zambia for Agroforestry, Biodiversity and Climate (Z4ABC) project is working towards transforming agroforestry, forestry and wildlife-based value-chains to become more sustainable, climate-resilient and productive while at the same time improving local livelihoods, food security, and biodiversity. The project is funded by the European Commission's DeSIRA initiative, with co-funding from Finnish partners and the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) through CIFOR-ICRAF's Zambia office.

In October 2022, Z4ABC held dialogue meetings with provincial government officials on the current food systems and value chains (VCs) in the Lower Zambia, Luangwa and Nyika (ZLN) corridor.

The focus of the meetings was firstly to learn from the past and current projects, initiatives and activities in the selected provinces, build the Z4ABC activities on lessons learnt, avoid duplication of work, and find synergies. Secondly, to receive feedback on the potential focus VCs to be targeted in different areas and mapping potential actors to engage and collaborate with. Finally, this strategy seeks to honour the country's participation in the Paris Agreement on climate change through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to emissions reduction.

The first meeting took place in Lusaka District on 6 October, and the second in Chipata District on 12 October, with officials drawn from the following ministries: Green Economy and Environment; Agriculture; Livestock and Fisheries, Tourism; Local Government and Rural Development; Education; Medium and Small Enterprises.

“This discussion with government officials is important, as it will help the project gain a better understanding of the different value chains in need of upscaling support once implementation begins in the targeted ZLN corridor,” said Maimbo Malesu, the coordinator of the project and Zambia Country Coordinator at CIFOR-ICRAF, in his opening remarks during the Lusaka meeting.

“Over 80 per cent of Zambia's population is directly dependent on the plentiful natural resources with which the country is endowed,” he continued. “Yet many people face serious socioeconomic and environmental challenges, including widespread rural poverty, high unemployment, and land and forest degradation. Therefore, through this project, we aim to collaborate with local stakeholders and outside partners in these sectors to bridge the gap in the targeted landscapes for improved livelihoods.”

In Chipata, Nicholas Hogarth – a forest and livelihoods expert for the Z4ABC project – explained that “we hope to identify the best entry points into selected agroforestry, forestry, and wildlife-based value chains to unlock their potential and place our support where it will have the most impact.”

After the formal presentations were made, Mila Sell – a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), one of the implementing partners of the Z4ABC project – took over to moderate a ‘World Café’-style session. Participants were asked to visit the three clipboards placed in the room and note down potential value chains under each category, highlighting successes to date alongside barriers that required support through the project. The three categories were: i) forestry, wildlife, and ecotourism; ii) agriculture, fisheries, and livestock; and iii) agroforestry.

After the World Café discussion about potential value chain selection, Eija Laitinen – a representative of Finland’s Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) – chaired a session on capacity building and training, where she invited participants to identify the most relevant actions in this arena to help ensure the success of food systems and value chains in the targeted landscapes. Participants called for more capacity building, integration of local communities and authorities into the project to ascertain continuity and sustainability, and deliberate policy to support an equal representation of women and youth. They also called for creating structures to promote the project’s sustainability, complement its activities, and support innovations to serve climate-smart agricultural systems.

About Z4ABC

The Zambia for Agroforestry, Biodiversity and Climate Action (Z4ABC) is a four-year project funded by the European Commission’s DeSIRA initiative. CIFOR-ICRAF's Zambia country office is leading the implementation of the project. In partnership with three Finnish research and higher education institutions – namely the Natural Resource Institute Finland (LUKE), Viikki Tropical Resources Institute of the University of Helsinki (VITRI), and Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) – CIFOR will work to provide expertise in facilitation, capacity building support, data collection and data analysis, as well as support to identify and implement relevant pilot actions. The project will be implemented in close collaboration with local partners (government, traditional leaders, service providers, and local-level implementing partners) and through a range of participatory stakeholder engagement activities such as multi-actor platforms (at the national, landscape, and local levels), and with actors across various parts of the value chains in question, with the involvement of local communities.