Encouraging the Adoption of Agroforestry among Smallholder Farmers in Zambia
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), Dunavant Zabmia Ltd., and Shared Value Africa hosted Encouraging the Adoption of Agroforestry among Smallholder Farmers: A Case Study in Eastern Province, Zabmia. The event was in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and jointly funded by Climate Development Knowledge Network, International Growth Centre, and Musika Development Initiatives.
The event was attended by 64 participants, many of whom were high-level cross-sector stakeholders from the Zambian government, the private sector, the international donor and research community and leading non-governmental organisations.
Through this event participants explored questions surrounding the adoption of agricultural technologies that bring benefits in the long-term but come with short-run costs, such as agroforestry, tree crops and conservation farming practices.
Encouraging the adoption of agroforestry as a land use strategy is of vital importance to the success of REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Plus). The case study of a tree-planting programme in Eastern Province with Faidherbia albida, a nitrogen-fixing species that improves soil fertility and brings long-run environmental benefits, was used to spark discussions around barriers to and determinants of adoption; impact and cost-effectiveness of providing input subsidies and short-run cash incentives; whether farmers that are attracted by cash incentives are less likely to follow through on the programme; and what type of farmers are most interested in agroforestry adoption and which are the most successful.
Event presentations:
- Opening by Catherine Mungoma, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Zambian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
- Presentation of Key Findings, led by Dr. Kelsey Jack, Assistant Professor of Economics, Tufts University
- Practical Lessons Learnt, led by Sam Bell, Director of Shared Value Africa, together with Dunavant Zambia Ltd.
- In-depth Research Findings, led by Dr. Kelsey Jack
Dissemination documents:
Chipata, Eastern Province Event: March 27, 2013
This event was similarly attended by a range of cross-sector stakeholders at the local level in Eastern Province, where the study took place.
The event also included a field visit with key government partners who met some of the participating farmers and saw a demonstration of the study’s Tree Monitoring Survey using electronic surveying and GPS.
For more information on this project, visit the project page.