Food Security Research Program: Zambia

General

Agricultural productivity of most staple crops has been stagnant, in part due to Government of the Republic of Zambia’s (GRZ) agriculture policies that exacerbate the challenges and focus on maize-centric subsides to the exclusion and detriment of other crops. The Food Security Research Project (FSRP) focuses on sustainable agricultural policy reform and capacity building. FSRP builds capacity among agricultural sector planners to achieve improved policy making through applied agricultural economic research, policy analysis, outreach, and dialogue. The current emphasis is to indigenize the capacity by supporting and strengthening local Zambian institutions, recently helping establish the Zambia Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI). FSRP has supported and built capacity with the Zambia Government to develop and implement the CAADP Compact to collect and analyze agricultural data, including information on incomes, yields, diversification, land tenure, use of natural resources, household decision making, and other information. They provide outreach and communication to stakeholders for discussion and input.