Agriculture In Zambia Research Articles

Unpacking the behavioral intentions of ‘emergent farmers’ towards mechanized conservation agriculture in Zambia

Conservation Agriculture (CA) continues to gain relevance among small and medium-scale farmers in African countries, including Zambia, in response to food insecurity and the adverse effects of climate change. The rise in the number of market-oriented farmers, known as ‘emergent farmers,’ who acquire and utilize tractors and associated implements for agricultural production, has brought new dynamism to Zambian agriculture. While prior studies emphasize the significance of considering socio-economic and psychological factors in understanding farmers’ adoption decisions, the underlying socio-economic and psychological determinants influencing emergent farmers’ interest in CA have not been explored. This study examined the behavioral intentions of Zambian emergent farmers concerning Mechanized Conservation Agriculture (MCA) using the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior constructs: attitudes, perceived behavior control, subjective norms, and farmers’ background factors. We surveyed 119 emergent farmers from selected districts and analyzed their responses through descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. We employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess the relationships among behavioral constructs (attitude, perceived behavioral control, and social norms) and the intention to adopt MCA. The results indicated that the positive attitude of Zambian emergent farmers had a significant impact (path coefficient = 0.24) on their intention (mean = 4.51) to adopt MCA on at least part of their farms. Perceived behavioral control, which measures perceived ability, resources, and skills for practicing MCA, also had a significant impact on intention (path coefficient = 0.37). Factors such as media influence, social influence, technical training, and extension services had positive but insignificant effects on farmers’ intention to adopt MCA. Background factors, including overall farm size, farmer’s age, area under CA, and years of CA use, showed a positive and significant correlation with farmers’ intention to adopt MCA. These findings underscore the crucial socio-psychological facets of emergent farmers, which can be valuable for policymakers and practitioners aiming to harness their potential in promoting and enhancing sustainable agricultural approaches like MCA in Zambia.

The Role of Social Media on the Growth of Agriculture in Zambia: A Case of Chingola District

The Role of Social Media on the Growth of Agriculture in Zambia: A Case of Chingola District

Pigeon pea biochar addition in tropical Arenosol under maize increases gross nitrification rate without an effect on nitrous oxide emission

Aims: To assess how biochar addition in rainfed conservation agriculture affects short-term transformation, plant uptake, retention of nitrogen (N) in soil, and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes in a tropical Arenosol planted to maize. Methods: A ten-day in situ 15N pool dilution and N cycling experiment, using tracer amounts (0.1 g m-2) of 15N labeled ammonium (15NH4+), nitrate (15NO3-) or 15N-urea, was carried out seven weeks after planting of maize (Zea mays L.) under conservation agriculture in Zambia, using planting basins without (CA) and with pigeon-pea biochar (BC) addition (4 t ha-1). Results: Pigeon-pea biochar increased soil NO3- concentration, gross nitrification rate, 15N recovery in extractable soil NO3-, and soil moisture. However, effects of biochar on soil N retention and plant N uptake were not significant. Likewise, biochar did not affect N2O fluxes. Conclusions: At low dosage, pigeon pea biochar has a positive effect on gross nitrification rate but does not affect short-term N retention in soil, N2O fluxes, nor does it help increasing the uptake of N by maize.

Impacts of climate change on agriculture and household welfare in Zambia: an economy-wide analysis

Rainfed agriculture is the primary impact channel for agrarian economies like Zambia, but it is uncertain how future climate will be and by how much it will affect agriculture, household welfare, and economic growth. We use an integrated framework that combines climate models, biophysical models, and an economy-wide computable general equilibrium model based on a 2007 Social Accounting Matrix to assess the impacts of climate change on agriculture, economic growth, and household welfare in Zambia. We address the uncertainty associated with climate change by using data from the general circulation models based on 819 potential future climate scenarios. There are three main results. First, rainfall is projected to decline with the Southern and Western regions of Zambia worst affected, and temperature is projected to increase by 2050. Second, climate change is projected to reduce crop yield and production, with maize expected to be the hardest hit. These impacts are progressive over time. And lastly, based only on the agricultural impact channel, climate change will likely reduce national gross domestic product (GDP), agricultural production, and household welfare. There are significant regional differences, with the Southern and Western regions projected to bear the most substantial negative impacts of climate change on crop yield and production. These findings have implications for targeting of adaptation interventions needed to sustain the future of smallholder agriculture in Zambia.

Foreign Direct Investment in Agriculture in Zambia has it Brought Tangible Economic Results

Foreign Direct Investment in Agriculture in Zambia has it Brought Tangible Economic Results

From plot to scale: ex-ante assessment of conservation agriculture in Zambia

This study combined bottom-up and top-down approaches to assess the ex-ante effects of conservation agriculture (CA)-based systems in Zambia considering both biophysical and economic factors and prevailing farm systems characteristics. For continuous maize cropping we compared a CA-based system of no-tillage with crop residue retention to a control system of conventional tillage with crop residue removal. First, we simulated yield effects that were calibrated and evaluated against multiple datasets, including on-farm agronomic trials from two seasons and six sites. Next, we extrapolated our simulations to all maize-growing areas in Zambia using gridded climate and soil datasets. Then simulated yields (in kg ha−1) were combined with economic data from a nationally-representative household survey to construct economic indicators including benefit-cost ratios (based on gross benefits and variable costs both in $ ha−1) that captured the implicit value of crop residues and labor demands. The field scale (per ha) indicators were scaled out using harvested areas as an expansion factor. All indicators were calculated over 3-, 10-, and 20-year simulation periods using an interpolated sequence of historical climate data. Finally, we conducted a spatial farm typology analysis to help understand the spatial variation in our field-scale indicators and provide insights into trade-offs and the suitability of CA-based systems for farmers. Average changes in yield from using CA-based systems (compared with the control) at the district scale ranged from −37% to 70% (average 33%), with a similar range of changes in benefit-cost ratios once economic factors were included, in addition to intra-district yield variability. Combining the changes in benefit-cost ratios with maize harvested area resulted in an average annual change in district-scale net benefit ranging from US $ − 3.9 to US $9.9 million (with an average of US $1.1 million). The heterogeneity in biophysical and economic factors gave a ranking of provinces different according to biophysical or economic indicators, reinforcing the importance of coupling biophysical and economic approaches. The spatial farm typology analysis highlighted the specific contexts of farmers relevant to the suitability of CA, such as their mineral fertilizer applications rates, ownership of livestock, and prevailing soil texture and rainfall.

Rural Youth Participation in Agriculture in Zambia

This study assessed rural youth participation in agriculture and the constraints they face in view of identifying ways of enhancing rural youth involvement in agriculture. Data for the study were collected from eighty rural youths in Kafue, Itimpi and Luangwa agriculture blocks of Kitwe district using a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that rural youth involvement in agriculture serves as a source of income generation and provides the much needed labor force in critical farming activities among others. The results also revealed that rural youth involvement in agriculture is characterized with constraints that include lack of access to capital, poor storage facilities, poor road networks, poor access to agriculture insurance for farm produce, and lack of technical assistance. To increase rural youth participation in agriculture, the study recommends the need to address the challenges rural youths face whilst promoting interventions that reinforce the benefits the youths derive from participating in agriculture.Keywords: Agriculture, rural youth participation, challenges

A climate for commerce: the political agronomy of conservation agriculture in Zambia

The promotion of conservation agriculture (CA) for smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa is subject to ongoing scholarly and public debate regarding the evidence-base and the agenda-setting power of involved stakeholders. We undertake a political analysis of CA in Zambia that combines a qualitative case study of a flagship CA initiative with a quantitative analysis of a nationally representative dataset on agricultural practices. This analysis moves from an investigation of the knowledge politics to a study of how the political agendas of the actors involved are shaping agrarian practices. From its initial focus on CA as soil conservation and sustainable agriculture, the framing of the initiative has evolved to accommodate shifting trends in the policy arena. In tandem with the increased focus on climate adaptation, we see an increased emphasis on private sector-led modernisation. The initiative has shifted its target group from the poorest smallholders to prospective commercial farmers, and has forged connections between its farmer-to-farmer extension network and private input suppliers and service providers. The link between CA and input intensification is reflected in national statistics as a significantly higher usage of herbicides, pesticides and mineral fertilizer on fields under CA tillage compared to other fields. We argue that the environmental and participation agendas are used to buttress CA as an environmentally and socially sustainable agricultural development strategy, while the prevailing practice is the result of a common vision for a private sector-led agricultural development shared between the implementing organisation, the donor and international organisations promoting a new green revolution in Africa.

The Social, Economic and Health Impacts of Urban Agriculture in Zambia

The Social, Economic and Health Impacts of Urban Agriculture in Zambia

Media’s Role in Enhancing Sustainable Development in Zambia

The dual pressures of climate change and population growth in Africa make enhancing sustainable development an important focus of initiatives hoping to reach as many people as possible with appropriate innovations. Resource and infrastructure challenges often limit the ability of programs to expand through the use of extension and other forms of in-person training. Although media such as radio, television, and mobile phones cannot replace the value of interpersonal communication, they can offer a low-cost alternative for reaching large audiences in even some of the most remote regions. With the increasing use of media for sustainable development come questions relating to the ability of these channels to move beyond a one-way flow of information to include and respond to local knowledge and experiences and to create dialogue, both farmer to farmer and between farmers and designers of educational messaging. This article evaluates the role of media in promoting sustainable agriculture in Zambia. Specifically, the findings present qualitative feedback from 34 smallholder farmers targeted by Community Markets for Conservation’s current radio programming efforts around sustainable agriculture. Results demonstrate the centrality of the radio program alongside other forms of communication, such as extension and farmer-to-farmer communication, as well as written and visual communication. These findings consider direct and indirect exposure to these efforts and the importance of radio in offering a foundation for dialogue and increased social diffusion of sustainable innovations in remote regions.

Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Zambia – The Case of Chongwe District

<p>The Zambian government and its cooperating partners have been trying to promote the use of conservation agriculture for improved food security and promotion of environmental sustainability. The methods used to promote conservation agriculture however are not adequately informed because no Zambia-specific studies have been done to explain adoption behaviour. This study aimed at explaining the factors that affect the adoption of conservation agriculture in Zambia using a case study.</p><p>A cross section survey of 200 randomly selected small scale farmers in Chongwe district was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Information collected included demographic characteristics of participating households, economic, as well as social characteristics. Respondents also provided information on the farming practices they are currently using vis a vis conservation agriculture.</p>A decision model was estimated using logistic regression and the results indicate that the adoption of conservation agriculture in the survey area is basically influenced by ownership of draft power, availability of labour, and the frequency of contact with the farmer support extension system. Potential to increase the adoption rate is plenty, but can only be tapped into if strategies and policies take into account the behavioural aspects of the adoption of the technology.

Economic crisis and food security in Africa: Exploring the significance of urban agriculture in Zambia’s Copperbelt province

Urban agriculture is gaining increasing recognition as a key urban survival strategy in the rapidly growing, but food insecure, cities of the South, and in Africa in particular. The overall significance of the activity has been the subject of considerable academic debate. This paper contributes to this debate through the presentation of the findings from recent field-based research in the Copperbelt province of Zambia, a region where the practice of urban agriculture and the role it plays in urban livelihoods appears to be more significant than in many other urban contexts. The region was characterised by a historical dependence on copper mining and associated industries which experienced a severe economic downturn from the late 1980s. In this context, urban agriculture has become a key livelihood strategy and a means to assure food security. Participation rates in urban agriculture in the region are much higher than in other African urban centres and experiences in the Copperbelt province could inform policy and practice in other areas which are experiencing economic crises.

Climate Smart Agriculture? Assessing the Adaptation Implications in Zambia

AbstractWe examine a set of potentially climate smart agricultural practices, including reduced tillage, crop rotation and legume intercropping, combined with the use of improved seeds and inorganic fertiliser, for their effects on maize yields in Zambia. We use panel data from the Rural Incomes and Livelihoods Surveys merged with a novel set of climatic variables based on geo‐referenced historical rainfall and temperature data to explore the changing effects of these practices with climatic conditions. We estimate the impacts on maize yields, and also on the exhibition of very low yields and yield shortfalls from average levels, as indicators of resilience, while controlling for household characteristics. We find that minimum soil disturbance and crop rotation have no significant impact on these yield outcomes, but that legume intercropping significantly increases yields and reduces the probability of low yields even under critical weather stress during the growing season. We also find that the average positive impacts of modern input use (seeds and fertilisers) are significantly conditioned by climatic variables. Timely access to fertiliser emerges as one of the most robust determinants of yields and their resilience. These results have policy implications for targeted interventions to improve the productivity and the resilience of smallholder agriculture in Zambia in the face of climate change.

‘One health’ and development priorities in resource-constrained countries: policy lessons from avian and pandemic influenza preparedness in Zambia

'One World, One Health' has become a key rallying theme for the integration of public health and animal health priorities, particularly in the governance of pandemic-scale zoonotic infectious disease threats. However, the policy challenges of integrating public health and animal health priorities in the context of trade and development issues remain relatively unexamined, and few studies to date have explored the implications of global disease governance for resource-constrained countries outside the main centres of zoonotic outbreaks. This article draws on a policy study of national level avian and pandemic influenza preparedness between 2005 and 2009 across the sectors of trade, health and agriculture in Zambia. We highlight the challenges of integrating disease control interventions amidst trade and developmental realities in resource-poor environments. One Health prioritizes disease risk mitigation, sidelining those trade and development narratives which speak to broader public health concerns. We show how locally important trade and development imperatives were marginalized in Zambia, limiting the effectiveness of pandemic preparedness. Our findings are likely to be generalizable to other resource-constrained countries, and suggest that effective disease governance requires alignment with trade and development sectors, as well as integration of veterinary and public health sectors.

Extending Conservation to Farmlands in Zambia: Prescribed Practices and Reality

This article examines the extension of environmental conservation measures to agricultural landscapes in a developing country context. It is concerned with how, conservation agriculture, as an agri-environmental measure aimed at improving farmers’ productivity while enhancing ecosystem services on farmland, is framed, translated into practice, adopted by smallholder farmers and how its practices fit with the livelihood realities of the farming households. Further, the paper is concerned with local level factors that limit the application of such measures in agricultural landscapes in Zambia. The data on which this paper is based was collected through a questionnaire survey, interviews, focus group discussions and farm site visits in Chongwe District of Central Zambia. The results of the study show that conservation agriculture in Zambia is framed in such a way that it is limited to a set of practices prescribed by some of the leading organisations involved in its deployment and ignores some local practices with potential to contribute to its objectives. Moreover, some of the prescribed conservation agricultural measures are not in harmony with the organisation of local livelihoods, negatively impact on household human capital (i.e. family labour demand), and ignore the bio-physical conditions of the areas where they are being promoted. Normal 0 false false false EN-ZA X-NONE X-NONE

Traditional Irrigation Practices, High Crop Diversification and Multiple Agricultural Cycles in Wastewater Irrigation Farming in Peru Urban Areas, Zambia

Studies conducted on peri urban wastewater irrigation agriculture in Zambia have not adequately tackled issues pertaining to farmer managed irrigation systems in heavy metal contaminated wastewater irrigation farming.The study focused on characteristics of farmer managed irrigation systems in wastewater irrigation farming contaminated with heavy metals at New Farm in Mufulira and Chilumba Gardens in Kafue. The study objectives were to ascertain the nature of irrigation practices and types of crops grown at the two study sites in Zambia. It was hypothesised that: (i) the nature of irrigation practices and types of crops were not significantly different at the two study sites in different seasons. (ii) the agro-ecological factors did not significantly influence the nature of irrigation practices and types of crops. The method comprised observation of sources of water supply, methods of irrigation and types of crops grown coupled with agro-ecological factors such as soil, slope and drainage at field plots located at regular intervals along transects established in the stratified sampling zones. The results indicated that farmer managed irrigation systems at the two study sites were characterised by multiple sources of water supply, multiple methods of irrigation, relatively high number of crops per study site equivalent to twenty types of crops grown per study site and relatively high number of crops per field plot ranging from one crop to ten crops per field plot coupled with multiple cycles of agricultural practices. The nature of irrigation practices and types of crops were influenced by a combination of agro-ecological factors. In conclusion, the farmer managed irrigation systems in wastewater irrigation farming were characterised by traditional irrigation practices, high crop diversification and multiple cycles of agricultural practices which were typical of traditional farmer managed irrigation systems. It can be argued that the crop cultivators have adapted the rural traditional irrigation systems’ practices to the peri urban wastewater irrigation systems in Zambia which confirmed the findings from other studies in developing countries. The study findings will be used to select and implement appropriate agricultural practices which can mitigate the negative effects of heavy metal contamination.

Life Cycle Assessment to Evaluate the Environmental Impact of Biochar Implementation in Conservation Agriculture in Zambia

Biochar amendment to soil is a potential technology for carbon storage and climate change mitigation. It may, in addition, be a valuable soil fertility enhancer for agricultural purposes in sandy and/or weathered soils. A life cycle assessment including ecological, health and resource impacts has been conducted for field sites in Zambia to evaluate the overall impacts of biochar for agricultural use. The life cycle impacts from conservation farming using cultivation growth basins and precision fertilization with and without biochar addition were in the present study compared to conventional agricultural methods. Three different biochar production methods were evaluated: traditional earth-mound kilns, improved retort kilns, and micro top-lit updraft (TLUD) gasifier stoves. The results confirm that the use of biochar in conservation farming is beneficial for climate change mitigation purposes. However, when including health impacts from particle emissions originating from biochar production, conservation farming plus biochar from earth-mound kilns generally results in a larger negative effect over the whole life cycle than conservation farming without biochar addition. The use of cleaner technologies such as retort kilns or TLUDs can overcome this problem, mainly because fewer particles and less volatile organic compounds, methane and carbon monoxide are emitted. These results emphasize the need for a holistic view on biochar use in agricultural systems. Of special importance is the biochar production technique which has to be evaluated from both environmental/climate, health and social perspectives.

Indigenous Climate Information and Modern Meteorological Records in Sinazongwe District, Southern Province, Zambia

Abstract In 2007, we conducted field research in Sinazongwe District in Southern Province, Zambia, focusing on collecting indigenous information concerning the local climate, which was often embodied in proverbs involving weather forecasts. The indigenous information was compared with recently col-lected meteorological records and a relationship between popular folk knowledge, local climate, and global climate factors such as ENSO (El Nino and the Southern Oscillation) was suggested. Proverbs related to agriculture and climate were categorized into four types of indicators used to forecast rain: the emergence of butterflies; tree characteristics (producing shoots, flowering, and dropping water); wind direction, wind speed, and temperature; and wind sound. The first two types are based on sea-sonal changes in life forms, and the latter two use wind variations produced by synoptic pattern changes. Discipline: Agro-meteorology Additional key words: agriculture in Zambia, indigenous proverbs, meteorological observation, re -silience, weather forecastingThis paper reports the results obtained in the research project ‘Vulnerability and Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems’ from 2006 to 2011, sponsored by the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN). *Corresponding author: e-mail kanno@affrc.go.jpReceived 3 March 2012; accepted 15 August 2012.

Are Smallholder Zambian Farmers Economists? A Dual-Analysis of Farmers’ Expenditure in Conservation and Conventional Agriculture Systems

This article presents the results of a comparative study on conservation and conventional agriculture among smallholder farmers in Zambia. It shows that conservation agriculture in Zambia, as currently practiced, does not reduce labor required during critical periods of the farming cycle. We argue that smallholder farmer decisions on whether or not to adopt conservation agriculture goes beyond its agronomic and economic superiority over conventional practice. The farmers also consider its labor demands, crops to be grown, and cultural norms. We show that farmers calculate their costs differently from conventional economic analysis. We conclude that promotion of conservation agriculture should be informed by local and contextual factors.

TRADITIONAL FARMING PRACTICES AND WASTEWATER IRRIGATION FARMING IN PERIURBAN, ZAMBIA

Studies on urban and peri urban agriculture in Zambia have not adequately tackled issues pertaining to farming practices in wastewater irrigation farming. The investigated the farming practices in relation to heavy metal contaminated wastewater irrigated farming at two peri urban areas in Zambia. The method comprised observation of crop cultivation activities at field plots located at intervals along transects established in the stratified land zones at the two study sites namely New Farm in Mufulira and Chilumba Gardens in Kafue. The results revealed that farming practices were characterised by traditional land management farming practices and traditional multiple cropping systems which were influenced by a combination of agro ecological factors as well as availability of heavy metal contaminated wastewater which has the potential to contaminate soils and crops. The farming practices were based on adaptation of traditional production systems to peri-urban wastewater irrigation farming which confirmed the results from other developing countries.