Profitable Organic Vegetable Production for Rural Producers in Southern Province, Zambia

 

Duration of the action

36  months

Objectives of the action

Overall objective(s):

1.  To help small scale farmers access markets for high value produce and build their capacity to trade within the local and cross border economies.

2.  To promote environmentally sustainable agricultural practices and trade.

3.  To reduce the number of people living in abject poverty.

4.  To organise farmers to collectively represent their interests to buyers.

5.  To develop a culture of organic production and consumption.

6.  To provide a clean hygienic, and well organized market for the local population and tourism industry.

7. To influence policy-making to recognize local farmers with reference to trade policies, agricultural supplies and price controls.

8. To promote a culture of savings and access to credit at village level through farmers’ own savings/membership fees.

Specific objective:  To reduce poverty levels in Southern Zambia through training farmers in high value, organic vegetable production and linking producers to viable local markets.

Name of applicant(s)[1] and EU Member State

Africa Now, UK

Local partner(s)

Organic Processors and Producers Association (OPPAZ), Zambia Chamber of Small & Medium Business Associations (ZCSMBA)/Livingstone Farmers Union (LFU)

Target group(s)[2]

400 farmers and their households, totalling 3,200 beneficiaries around Livingstone and Kazungula

Final beneficiaries[3]

1,500,000 consumers. The final beneficiaries are the wider farming community, the general public, the tourism industry (including 40 lodges and 26 hotels) and local school children.

Estimated results

1. Improved incomes for local farmers, and greater capacity to cater for social and economic needs, such as school fees and medical bills.

2. Well packaged and stored fresh vegetables for the local population and tourism industry markets, supplied from a profitable store, which is run by farmer groups and is financially sustainable.

3. Increased awareness of, access to and consumption of organic agricultural produce, leading to improved health of project beneficiaries.

4. Empowered Farmers’ Association and farmer groups, collectively representing their interests to buyers.

Main activities

1.    Market analysis & Baseline Survey.

2.    Train farmers on produce diversification, value adding and quality control.

3.    Provide PAC means to address crop destruction by wild animals.

4.    Train farmers in organic standards, internal control systems and certification.

5.    Organise and train farmers on running a vegetable store collectively as a business, including contract negotiation between farmers and buyers.

6.    Build capacity in the Farmers’ Association and farmer groups through training on market economics and business skills.

7.    Raise awareness on the benefits of organic crop production and consumption.

8.    Create awareness of problems affecting farmers and the organic sector and design advocacy and lobbying strategies to present to the Government and other relevant bodies.

9.    Run workshops with the Zambia Cross Border Trade Association on issues related to Cross border trade agreements using the regional Cross Border Trade platform.

10. Hold awareness meetings with farmers on the Village Bank concept.

11. Develop a Monitoring and Evaluation strategy to provide tools to monitor the implementation and evaluate the impact of the project.

Please specify all activities related to microfinance, and indicate total budgeted amount for such activities

The microfinance activities included in this project relate purely to awareness-raising of the local Village Bank, which has been funded by the EU in the project ‘Protecting the Environment and Natural Resources through Trade in High Value Chillies’ as a means to help local communities save their income and access credit.

 


[1]           In the case of a consortium, indicate first the lead NGO and then all the other consortium members.

[2]           “Target groups” are the groups/entities who will be directly positively affected by the project.

[3]           “Final beneficiaries” are those who will benefit from the project in the long term at the level of the society or sector at large.