Formerly known as Northern Rhodesia, Zambia is located in southern Africa, east of Angola. The country’s total land area is 752,618 sq km. In comparison, Zambia is slightly smaller than the state of Texas in the U.S., and about the size of Chile. The country’s climate is tropical, but becomes more temperate as altitudes increase. Of the total land area, only 7 percent is utilized for cultivated crops, with no measurable area dedicated to permanent crops such as fruit- and nut-bearing trees. Environmental issues include deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, lack of adequate water treatment and acid rain resulting from copper mining. Zambia’s population is approximately 12 million, with a staggering 86 percent living in poverty. Only 45 percent of the nation’s population is considered part of the labor force, and 85 percent of that workforce is dedicated to agriculture. The remaining 6.6 million citizens rely on subsistence farming for survival. Landlocked Zambia's economy has experienced strong growth in recent years, with real GDP growth in 2005-08 at roughly 6 percent annually. Privatization of nationalized copper mines in the 1990s relieved the government from large financial losses generated by the industry. The move also improved the chances for mining to return to profitability as copper prices increased, spurring economic growth. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and foreign investment, yet the industry alone is not substantial enough to raise the country out of abject poverty. In 2005, Zambia qualified for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative, consisting of approximately US $6 billion in debt relief. The decline in world commodity prices combined with lower demand hurt GDP growth in 2009, but a sharp rebound in copper prices and a bumper maize crop have helped Zambia begin to recover. Other agricultural products from Zambia include sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava, coffee and livestock. The East and Southern Africa Division is responsible for IFDC activities in Zambia.
Recent IFDC Projects in Zambia
- COMESA Regional Agricultural Inputs Program (COMRAP), 2010-2011
COMRAP responded to rising food prices by increasing agricultural productivity through improved access to finance, training, fertilizer and seeds. Over the course of its implementation, the project targeted three million smallholder farmers in Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. COMRAP was implemented by the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA).
DONOR: The European Union Food Facility Program
- NEPAD-FAO Fertilizer Subsidy Study, 2011-2012
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) commissioned this study on fertilizer subsidy programs in eight African countries, with technical guidance and financial support provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and IFDC. The study is an overview of different subsidy models, thus providing a menu of best practices for countries considering ‘smart’ subsidies or wishing to alter ongoing subsidy programs. The study focuses on fertilizer subsidy programs in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia.
DONORS: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)