Despite its rich agricultural resources, Zambia has continued to experience chronic food and nutrition insecurity. Hunger, undernourishment and malnutrition rates in Zambia, are reported in various publications as being extremely high and among the highest rates in the world. The project seeks to contribute to the reduction of malnutrition cases especially among children and women, in rural households of Zambia, by promoting the production and consumption of indigenous African leafy vegetables.
Malnutrition is one of the major public health concerns in Zambia. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) (2014), Zambia is ranked as having the highest rates in Africa at 48 percent. The global average is 11.3 percent and 23.8 percent in Africa. Related to its monotonous and deficient diets, Zambia has unacceptably high levels of child under-nutrition.
The project targets the production and consumption of indigenous African leafy vegetables because of their higher levels of nutrient content compared to the commonly grown exotic species. Focus areas include food and nutrition security, greater access to quality seeds, improved production, post-harvest handling, value addition, increased knowledge of indigenous ALVs' health benefits, influencing policy for the recognition of farmer-managed seed systems and agroecology
1) Food and nutrition security ensured at the household level leading to reduced cases of malnutrition. 2) Enhanced household income and reduction of rural families living in abject poverty 3) Capacity development and empowerment of rural women in decision making through the management of seed banks 4) Culture of production and consumption of indigenous African leafy vegetables 5)Provision of a clean, hygienic and organized market for the local population and the hospitality industry
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
