SIFAZ LEADS THE DISCUSSION ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PRACTICES

By Natasha Mhango

The Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems (SIFAZ) held a National Technical Symposium late last month, which brought together specialists, technocrats and farmers from various organizations and cooperations, to network and problem-solve issues related to sustainable agriculture practices

SIFAZ, which is a program supported by the European Union and led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with CIMMYT and the Ministry of Agriculture; held its Symposium under the theme "Advancing Food Security and Agribusiness Opportunities for Smallholder Farmers through Sustainable Agriculture Innovations." The event brought together stakeholders from various sectors to discuss ideas for enhancing productivity and food security by promoting climate-smart agriculture practices among smallholder farmers.

In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, John Mulongoti, emphasized the importance of sustainable agriculture in ensuring food security and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. He noted that the Symposium provided a crucial platform for stakeholders to share knowledge, experiences, and innovations that could help address the challenges facing the agriculture sector.

“Working with the coalition of United Nations agencies and government, we are implementing best practices from climate resilient initiatives to adapt the economy to climate change impact. The goal is reach over 3 million beneficiaries in districts within selected agro ecological regions which are vulnerable to climate change,” Mr. Mulongoti revealed.

He acknowledged the progress being made in promoting sustainable intensification practices among smallholder farmers and assured participants at the Symposium that the government would continue upscaling the good practices and lessons being implemented through initiatives such as SIFAZ.

Mr. Mulongoti expressed gratitude to FAO Zambia for organizing the Symposium and for continually complementing government’s efforts to improve the agriculture sector.

In response to this, FAO Country Representative, Ms Suze Percy Filippini, reaffirmed the organization's commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture development in the country. She said that the Symposium was a key step towards achieving SIFAZ's objectives of promoting climate-smart agriculture, enhancing productivity, and improving food security among smallholder farmers.

She explained that SIFAZ was a project designed to respond to farmers’ and promote sustainable farming practices aimed at enhancing the climate resilience of smallholder farmers.

Ms. Filippini added that SIFAZ had recorded notable success in the last four farming seasons.

“Farmers supported by SIFAZ project have demonstrated remarkable resilience by adopting intercropping practices that integrate maize with leguminous crops and these include market-oriented legumes like pigeon peas common beans, groundnuts and cow peas,” Ms. Filippini said.

The Symposium featured a variety of presentations from various experts on topics such as recommended sustainable intensification practices that promote soil health, climate-smart farming practices and agribusiness opportunities for smallholder farmers. The presentations sparked discussions and debates among participants about the challenges and opportunities in practicing sustainable intensification practices.

One of the key takeaways from the Symposium was the need to scale-up the adoption of sustainable intensification practices among smallholder farmers. Key note speakers emphasized the need for collaboration between government, private sector and civil society in developing and promoting the adoption of sustainable agriculture innovations among smallholder farmers.

Head of Cooperation at the European Delegation to Zambia and COMESA, Claudio Bacigalupi, noted that farmers in rural areas still grappled with the challenges of limited access to finance, infrastructure, market inefficiencies and climate change.

 “While strong policies are essential, it is financing and investment that will drive real change on the ground. The lack of access to affordable financing remains one of the most critical barriers to the growth of smallholder farmers and agribusinesses,” Mr. Bacigalupi said.

He disclosed that the European Union are supporting the SIFAZ programme with more than ZMK1.5 billion guided by the goal to not only contributed to increased yields but to transform smallholder farming into viable business enterprises.

“We must also work closely with the private sector to create strong market linkages and develop value chains that can support sustained investment in agribusiness development and this requires robust partnerships with agro businesses, cooperatives and financial institutions to ensure that financing reaches the farmers who needed it the most,” he explained.

Based on his sentiments, it can be agreed that the SIFAZ National Technical Symposium was a significant step towards promoting sustainable agriculture development in the country, by bringing together stakeholders from various sectors, to share knowledge, experiences, and innovations that can help address the challenges such faced in increasing productivity and boosting agribusiness.

The Symposium set the tone for productive and engaging discussions that are necessary to promote the adoption of on sustainable farming innovations and their potential to improve food security and livelihoods among smallholder farmers.