Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI) Senior Seed Officer, Zombe Sikazwe, says Government reaffirmed its commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture, crop diversification and the empowerment of women farmers as part of efforts to strengthen Zambia’s food security…

 Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI) Senior Seed Officer, Zombe Sikazwe, says Government reaffirmed its commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture, crop diversification and the empowerment of women farmers as part of efforts to strengthen Zambia’s food security and agricultural resilience.

Speaking during the Zambia Traditional Seed and Food Festival, Mrs Sikazwe said the government is shifting its agricultural agenda from focusing mainly on production to promoting sustainable, resilient and inclusive agricultural practices.

Mrs Sikazwe said the government had identified agroecology, agricultural diversification and women empowerment as key priorities in transforming the agricultural sector.

She said the Eighth National Development Plan and the National Agriculture Policy prioritised agroecology as a pathway towards sustainable agriculture.

Mrs Sikazwe said the Ministry of Agriculture is promoting farming practices that restore soil health, conserve water, encourage the use of indigenous seed varieties and reduce dependence on expensive external inputs.

She said SCCI will continue ensuring that farmers have access to certified, diverse and climate-resilient seeds, including traditional and improved varieties suitable for agro ecological farming systems.

Mrs Sikazwe said the government is moving away from overdependence on maize production by promoting crops such as soybeans, sunflower, groundnuts, cowpeas, sorghum, cassava and high-value horticultural crops.

She said the diversification agenda also included integrating livestock and aquaculture into farming systems to create additional income opportunities, employment and resilience against climate-related shocks.

Mrs Sikazwe said the Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme (CASP) has placed crop diversification at the centre of its implementation strategy.

She further said the government recognised women as key players in the agricultural sector, noting that they contributed more than 60 percent of farm labour and played a central role in household food security.

Mrs Sikazwe said the government is prioritising support for women-headed households through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), improved access to finance and land, women-focused agricultural extension services and training.

She said deliberate efforts are also being made to ensure women are included in seed systems and agricultural value chains.

Mrs Sikazwe added that sustainable agriculture could only be achieved through the combined efforts of government, farmers, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and cooperating partners.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Mapulanga who was representing a Consortium of Civil Society Organizations has called for increased investment in traditional seed systems, saying indigenous seeds are critical to strengthening Zambia’s food security, improving nutrition and building resilience to climate change.

Father Mapulanga said traditional seeds such as sorghum, millet and cowpeas had the potential to help communities withstand drought and other climate-related challenges.

He said the loss of indigenous seed varieties is gradually threatening Zambia’s agricultural heritage, as some traditional crops are becoming less common in farming communities.

Father Mapulanga noted that the disappearance of traditional seeds also meant losing indigenous knowledge on how to grow, preserve, store and prepare traditional foods.

He said women play a critical role in preserving indigenous seeds and traditional food knowledge, describing them as key custodians of the country’s food systems.

Father Mapulanga said traditional foods such as sorghum, millet, cowpeas, bondwe and wild fruits such as masuku are important sources of nutrition but are increasingly being marginalised due to changing food consumption patterns.

He observed that the growing consumption of highly processed foods has contributed to reduced dietary diversity and increased nutrition-related health challenges.

Father Mapulanga said traditional seeds should not be viewed as outdated, but rather as practical solutions to climate change and food security challenges because of their ability to withstand harsh weather conditions and their nutritional value.

He, however, said farmers continued to face challenges such as the high cost of irrigation equipment, limited access to affordable processing technologies, inadequate agricultural extension services and restricted access to seed markets.

He called for increased investment in farmer-managed seed enterprises, affordable agricultural technologies for rural women and policies that protect farmers’ rights to save, exchange and sell traditional seeds.

Father Mapulanga said farmers should be given the freedom to preserve and use their own seeds, adding that seed sovereignty is important to achieving national food sovereignty.

He urged policymakers to integrate gender-inclusive agroecological approaches into national agricultural strategies and support farmer-led seed systems alongside conventional agricultural methods.

He has also called on the private sector, academic and research institutions to work with women-led cooperatives in developing markets and affordable processing technologies that would help retain economic value within local communities.

Women farmers have called for greater recognition and support for traditional seed systems, saying indigenous crops are essential to strengthening food security, preserving agricultural knowledge and building resilience to climate change.

The women farmers’ representative Esther Mumba said women are not merely beneficiaries of agricultural development but key leaders, innovators and custodians of traditional seed and food knowledge.

Mrs Mumba said women play a critical role in selecting, preserving and exchanging seeds, as well as passing indigenous farming knowledge from one generation to another.

She said women farmers remained central to household food security through the production of vegetables, legumes, small grains and other traditional crops.

She however, noted that farming had become increasingly challenging due to unpredictable rainfall patterns, declining soil fertility, rising input costs, increased pest attacks and limited access to reliable markets.

Mrs Mumba said the severe drought experienced during the 2023/2024 agricultural season had exposed the vulnerability of the country’s food system when it depended heavily on a limited number of crops.

She also highlighted indigenous vegetables such as bondwe, chiwawa, kalembula and katapa, saying they contributed to dietary diversity and represented an important part of Zambia’s food heritage.

Mrs Mumba said traditional seeds carried valuable knowledge and biodiversity, adding that some indigenous crop varieties had characteristics that made them suitable for different local growing conditions, including dry environments.

Mrs Mumba said increased support for farmer-managed seed systems, community seed banks, seed conservation and the exchange of traditional seeds among farming communities and young people.

She further urged stakeholders to recognise and protect farmers’ rights while ensuring that women’s knowledge and experiences are represented in agricultural policies and programmes.

Mrs Mumba said women farmers are also adopting agro ecological practices such as compost making, crop rotation, intercropping, mulching, tree planting and water harvesting to improve soil fertility and protect the environment.

She said combining traditional farming knowledge with modern technologies and scientific research will help farmers improve productivity, conserve biodiversity and reduce dependence on expensive external inputs.

Mrs Mumba has since called for stronger support for traditional seeds and farmer-managed seed systems through policies and programmes that recognise community seed banks, indigenous seed varieties and farmers’ knowledge.

She has also urged the government to increase investment in agro ecology and climate-resilient agriculture through practical extension services, water harvesting technologies, small-scale irrigation, soil restoration initiatives and affordable farming equipment.

Mrs Mumba further called for improved access to land, finance, training, technology and decision-making opportunities for women farmers, including young women entering the agricultural sector.