Policy opportunities and challenges on sustainable Agri-Food systems, food access and nutrition in Zambia

1. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
INDABA AGRICULTURAL POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Rhoda Mofya-Mukuka, PhD
Presented at the Nutrition-Sensitive Fish Agri-Food
Systems Workshop
Lusaka, 25th February, 2020
POLICY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES ON
SUSTAINABLE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS, FOOD
ACCESS AND NUTRITION IN ZAMBIA.

2. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Zambia food security and nutrition targets
Commitments
“We commit to ending hunger in Africa by
2025.”
“…to improve nutritional status, and in
particular, the elimination of child under-
nutrition in Africa with a view to bringing
down stunting to 10% and underweight to
5% by 2025.”
Malabo declaration, 2014
“Zambia Free from Hunger by 2030”.
SDG number 2, 2015
1
“By 2030, end hunger and
ensure access by all people, in particular
the poor and people in vulnerable
situations, including infants, to safe,
nutritious and sufficient food all year
round.”
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2
Target 2.1
“By 2030, end all forms of
malnutrition, including achieving, by
2025, the internationally agreed targets
on stunting and wasting in children under
five years of age…
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2
2 Target 2.2:

3. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
The problem….
Focus of the agriculture sector
remains national food security
through staple food production
Limited policy impact research
on food security intervention
Agricultural production in
Zambia is heading away from
availability of diverse and
healthy diets, with availability
of calories from legumes, fish,
eggs, and milk reduced from
already low levels
2

4. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
3
Food Security and Nutrition Status in Zambia
42.7 % suffer from hunger
(SUNLE Consontium, 2019)
46.7% of the population are
undernourished (FAO et al, 2019)
47% experience inadequate food
provisions in at least one month
(RALS, 2019)
35% Child <5 have stunted growth
(ZDHS, 2019)

5. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Poorly diversified
diets Mono-cropping:
poor yield
Undiversified
incomes: High
poverty levels
4
Effects of poor agricultural policies

6. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Low dietary diversification
A typical Zambian diet is
composed of starch and
dark green vegetables
with limited protein
sources
5
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Cereals
Rootsandtubers
Milkandmilkproducts
Vitaminarich…
Darkgreenleafy…
Othervegetables
Vitaminarichfruits
Otherfruits
Offals
Fleshmeat
Eggs
Fish
Legumes,nutsandseeds
Oilsandfats
Sweets
Spices,condiments,…
Percent
Food groups consumed
2019

7. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Changing food consumption patterns
6
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Cereals
Starchy roots
Pulses
Vegetables and fruits
Meat and fish
Eggs
Milk
Sugar & sweeteners
Fats & oils
% of total dietary energy supply
1971 1991 2011

8. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Food provisions are highly seasonal
7
Source: IAPRI/MAL/CSO 2012, 2015,2019
Months of inadequate food provisions
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Percent
2012 2015 2019

9. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
8
Stunting rates by Province
% Stunting
52 - 60
44 - 52
36 - 44
28 - 36
20 - 28
2007 2013/14 2018/19
Source: DHS 2007, 2013/14, 2018/19

10. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
9
Opportunities on Sustainable Agri-food
Systems, Food Access and Nutrition

11. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
The Food System….
The food system is a complex web of
activities involving the production,
processing, transport, and consumption.
• Issues concerning the food system include the
governance and economics of food production,
its sustainability, the degree to which we waste
food, how food production affects the natural
environment and the impact of food on individual
and population health.
10

12. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Conceptual pathways from agriculture to nutrition
11
Source: Harris and Smit-Mwanamwenge

13. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Investment Actions
12
Invest in food processing technologies
that reduce food loss and waste
Provide incentive structures such as
tax breaks for productive businesses to
be set up especially in the rural areas
to stimulate value chain development

14. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Investment Actions cont.
13
Investment in improved market and storage infrastructure
through private-public partnerships

15. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Investment Actions cont.
 Develop wholesale market
using cost-effective design
with concrete flooring to
facilitate drainage and
cleaning
 designated entry and exit
points for vehicular and
human traffic
 Loading and off-loading
bays, storage facilities
14

16. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Institutional Actions
15
 Develop a coordination mechanism to
ensure synergies across food security and
nutrition sectors
 Strengthen the relationships among
research, extension, and local
communities
 Strengthen capacity of nutrition section in
key Ministries – MoA, MCDSS, MFL
 Decentralize the food and nutrition
commission

17. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Thank you for your attention
16

18. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
17
Low Food
availability and
distribution
Poor yields –
vulnerable to
whether shocks
Key Factors Driving Hunger and malnutrition
Low agricultural
Intensification
(Land constraint)

19. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Economic Implications of not addressing
Food Insecurity and Malnutrition
18
Poverty
Food
Insecurity,
Hunger and
Malnutrition
Poor Physical
and Cognitive
Development
Low
Productivity

20. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
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Food insecurity
leads to low
productivity and a
wide range of
social problems
10% loss of personal productivity
2-3 % loss of GDP
Under-nutrition accounts for up to 52 per
cent of under-five deaths in Zambia
Children who are severely malnourished have
a much higher risk of dying (5 to 20 times)
than their well-nourished counterparts
Economic Implications of not addressing
Food Insecurity and Malnutrition

21. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
What can we do to change the situation?
20
Policy
actions
Institutional
actions
Investment
actions

22. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
21
Policy Actions
• Infrastructure
• Irrigation
• Research and
Development
• Extension and education
Restructure
Agricultural
budget
spending,
allocating more
towards key
drivers of
agricultural
growth

23. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Policy Actions cont.
• Lay out the modalities of the
implementation of agricultural
diversification
• Identify pathways for ensuring food
access in terms of market access
and incomes
• Identifying crops and livestock
suitable for different agro-
ecological zones to Enhance crop
and livestock production by
Develop a
standalone
national
agricultural
diversification
strategy
22

24. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
IIb
III
III
II
I
Region IIa:
Rainfall range - 800 to
1,000mm/annum
Inherent fertile plateau soils.
Maize, cotton, tobacco, sunflower,
soybeans, irrigated wheat,
groundnuts, flowers, paprika,
vegetables, cassava, millet,
horticulture, livestock.
Region III:
More than 1,000mm
of rainfall/ annum
Very deep soils,
sandy clay loam.
Cassava, millet,
sorghum, beans,
groundnuts, rice,
coffee, tea,
pineapples, fish
farming, livestock.
Region I:
Rainfall Less than
800mm/annum
Loamy to clay soils
Cotton, sorghum millet,
seseme, cashew nuts,
livestock, fisheries
Region IIb:
Rainfall range 800 –
1,000 mm/annum
Loamy to sandy soils
Cassava, sorghum,
millet, seseme,
cashew nuts,
livestock, fisheries
Rainfall, Soil and Crop Suitability by agro-
ecological Region

25. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Small
Ruminants
Fish Farming
Cattle Ranching
Small Ruminants
Fish Farming
Dairy
Cattle Ranching
Dairy
Poultry
Cattle Ranching
Small Ruminants
Fish Farming
Dairy, Piggery and
Poultry
Cattle Ranching
Fish Farming
Dairy, Piggery
and Poultry
Cattle Ranching
Small Ruminants
Fish Farming
Cattle
Ranching
Small
ruminants
Fish farming
Cattle
Ranching
Small
Ruminants
Piggery
Poultry
Cattle Ranching
Small
Ruminants
Poultry
Fish Farming
Dairy
Livestock Production Opportunities by Province
Source: Ministry of Fisheries
and Livestock and

26. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Other Policy Actions
Develop a post-harvest
management guide
• Develop and implement a
national food loss and waste
strategy
Promote business
innovations and support
start-ups in food
processing
Enhance support for
localised food production
at village level
25

27. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Investment Actions
26
Invest in food processing technologies
that reduce food loss and waste
Provide incentive structures such as
tax breaks for productive businesses to
be set up especially in the rural areas
to stimulate value chain development

28. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Investment Actions cont.
27
Investment in improved market and storage infrastructure
through private-public partnerships

29. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Investment Actions cont.
 Develop wholesale market
using cost-effective design
with concrete flooring to
facilitate drainage and
cleaning
 designated entry and exit
points for vehicular and
human traffic
 Loading and off-loading
bays, storage facilities
28

30. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
Institutional Actions
29
 Develop a coordination mechanism to
ensure synergies across food security and
nutrition sectors
 Strengthen the relationships among
research, extension, and local
communities
 Strengthen capacity of nutrition section in
key Ministries – MoA, MCDSS, MFL
 Decentralize the food and nutrition
commission

31. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
30
www.iapri.org.zm