AICCRA Zambia's work prioritizes gender equality and social inclusion to transform livelihoods - focusing on removing and overcoming the barriers to the benefits of accessing and using climate information services and climate-smart agriculture. 

After more than three years working with these communities in Zambia, we visited some of the women and young people involved in the climate-smart bundles to capture their stories in their words. 

Aquaculture

The uptake of integrated aquaculture (linking two or more farming activities, where one is a fish-farming activity) has enabled women and youths to get better nutrition, access to income, and provide school needs for siblings and children. 

The social roles of women and youth are also being changed through the benefits of aquaculture, as they are now making important economic contributions to their families and communities.

Explore:

• The private sector is helping to scale the adoption of ‘climate-smart’ aquaculture in Zambia - boosting women’s role one pond at a time

Solar irrigation

Access to solar-powered irrigation is providing a climate-smart solution for women and youth in Zambian communities. Working with solar equipment providers connected to the agricultural sector, inclusive financial models are ensuring that solar-powered irrigation equipment is more accessible for women and youth - boosting incomes and productivity on their farms.

Seeds systems

Climate-smart seed systems are a key solution for responding to the challenges of climate change and climate variability, but young people and women are often left behind in accessing and using improved and climate-tested seed systems. 

Through AICCRA and local partners, young people are part of the entrepreneurs included in producing localized climate-smart seed systems. This has created employment and a mechanism for them to access financial benefits.

Value chains and cooperatives

Working with women in cooperatives, organic farming, which includes the integration of agroforestry, has resulted in women getting higher yields and increased savings from their harvests as they were no longer buying fertilizers which are costly and diminish overall soil health. 

The women's cooperatives were also linked to integrated farming, which saw them producing honey that was exported to the European Union by Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) under the brand 'It's Wild'. 

Beyond subsistence farming, women are now viewing farming as a business and income-generating activity.

Best in Class

Through a holistic lens towards supporting women in agriculture production, climate information has been provided to women farmers, including seasonal forecasting, to better prepare and make decisions for their farming season. Seasonal forecasting is also linked to recommended actions on specific soybean and groundnut varieties to plant. 

Through cooperatives, the women have also received information and demonstrations on good agronomic practices to ensure increased productivity. This holistic bundled approach resulted in increased incomes, better nutrition outcomes, better health and empowered women.

Acknowledgements

For their participation in the video series and for sharing their CSA stories, the AICCRA team would like to thank the communities of:

• Luwingu District (Northern Province), Mansa and Samfya Districts (Luapula Province) – Aquaculture bundle
• Chibombo District – Solar Irrigation bundle
• Mkushi and Chibombo Districts (Central Province) and the Chikankata District (Southern Province) – Seed Systems bundle
• Chipata and Nyimba Districts of the Eastern Province – Value Chain bundle
• Chibombo District (Central Province) – Best in Class bundle

We’d also like to thank Kgothatso Mophosho for filming and editing the videos. Field logistics were supported by Mercy Sichone and Agness Chileya (Aquaculture), Munyaradzi Mutenje (Solar Irrigation), Consent Sibeso (Seed Systems), the COMACO Team (Value Chain), and Casco Mubanga and his colleagues at BetterWorld Innovations (Best in Class). Sushila De Silva and Amy Harris provided editing guidance for the videos. All the narrations were done by Everisto Mapedza.