Zambia is a landlocked country in southern Africa, with a land territory of 752,614 square kilometres and 17 million inhabitants. Only 58% (42 million hectares) of the land is suitable for agricultural production of crops, livestock, and fisheries. Zambia’s economy is dependent on copper mining and agriculture, which, together, employ over 70% of the country’s workforce and contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Maize is the single most important crop in Zambia. It is both the most widely grown smallholder crop (with smallholder farmers producing 3.6 billion kilogrammes in 2017), and the national staple food, providing about 60% of the country’s caloric requirements. Zambia is home to 14 ecosystems and over 12,000 identified plant and animal species, making it a highly biodiverse country. However, recent climate change predictions suggest variable weather systems, which could increase the frequency of droughts and floods and thus affect food sources. In 2019, the Global Hunger Report ranked Zambia fourth among countries with the highest rates of hunger in Africa and in the world, with 40% of children under five being stunted. Policies to promote the production of a variety of crops resistant to drought either only exist on paper or are non-existent.
World Agroforestry (ICRAF) in Zambia
ICRAF’s Zambia office comprises international and local scientists and has been carrying out agroforestry research in the country since 1985. Over the years, ICRAF has been working with government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to enhance the adoption of agroforestry as a sustainable strategy to addressing the current challenges in the agriculture sector. Working closely with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), ICRAF focussed on agroforestry research particularly of the woody species that can be grown on smallholder farms. This research aims to improve soil fertility through fertilizer trees and nutrition through domestication of indigenous fruit trees. ICRAF has also contributed to the formulation of a National Agroforestry Policy.
