ZAMBIA
Location
Zambia is a landlocked country in south central Africa. It
shares borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
Tanzania to the north, with Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the
southeast, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the South and Angola
to the West. The country extends at its maximum about 821 km from
north to south and 1,385 km from east to west, covering a total
area of 752,614 km2. Although lying within the Tropic Zone, much of
Zambia enjoys a pleasant subtropical climate because of the high
altitude. The rainy season runs from November to April.
Agricultural sector
Some 70 percent of Zambia's working population is engaged in
agriculture, largely subsistence farming. The sector accounts for
20 % of GDP. Principal crops are maize, cassava, fresh vegetables,
sugar cane, wheat and groundnuts. Beef and dairy cattle are raised
for domestic use. Major export crops include cotton, tobacco,
maize, sugar, green coffee, peas, beans and fresh vegetables (FAO,
14.07.2006). The agricultural sector remains underdeveloped and
vulnerable to weather fluctuations. High transportation costs
resulting from long distances to seaports pose a constraint to
agricultural exports.
Overview of organic farming
A recent survey reports significant increases in organic
production in Zambia. Accordingly, about 2,500 Zambian farmers
cultivate 187,694 hectares of land using organic methods. This
accounts for 0.53 % of the total agricultural area (IFOAM &
FiBL 2006). The data include fully converted land as well as "in
conversion" land area. Having a lot of virgin arable land, a
favourable climate and still reasonable low labour costs, Zambia
continues to show bright prospects for further developing its
organic sector. However, in order to compete with surrounding
countries, more investment in local infrastructure is required.
Key organic products
The bulk of the organic production area in Zambia is virgin land
for wild harvesting of products such as honey, mushrooms and
indigenous tree seed oil. The remainder is commercial land, which
is used for the production of export vegetables, herbs, spices,
medical plants, groundnuts, sesame, green manures, soy beans and
maize (IFOAM 2003). Basically, all organic exports from Zambia are
destined for Europe.
The network
The Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia
(OPPAZ), which was set up in 1999 as a body affiliated to the
Zambian National Farmers Union, promotes the organic movement in
Zambia. It also developed a technical advisory service for its
members. In general, it provides marketing, certification and
technical support to producers from the smallholder sector as well
as to large-scale commercial enterprises.
The main certifiers are Ecocert and the Soil association. OPPAZ
has set up an initiative to develop a certification label for the
national market (IFOAM 2003).
Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia
(OPPAZ)
Coordinator: Patrick Mungaila
Leopards Hill Road 14
Kabulonga
P.O. Box 35317
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel.: +260-1-263070
Fax: +260-1-265 208
Email: oas@organic.org.zm
Website: http://www.manobi.sn/op/oppaz/
External Support
The Zambia organic agriculture sector has been receiving support
from the following external organisations amongst others:
CARE
International
Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO)
German Technical
Cooperation GTZ
International Trade
Centre (ITC)
Norwegian Agency for
Development Cooperation (NORAD)
Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
Private
Sector Development Programme (PSDP)
U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID)
References
- IFOAM & FiBL (2006): The World of Organic Agriculture.
Statistics and Emerging Trends 2006. International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Bonn & Research
Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, pp. 27-35.
- IFOAM (2003): Organic and Like-Minded Movements in Africa.
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM),
Bonn, pp.102-108.
- FAO, 14.07.2006: Key Statistics of Food and Agriculture
External Trade. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), Statistics Division. URL:
www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?dir=exp&country=3&ryear=2004
and www.fao.org/es/ess/top/country.html?lang=en