Improving livelihoods and crop diversity through organic agriculture in Zambia
Case Study C0056
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| Date | 2002 |
| Agency | Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ) |
| Donor/support agency | Dutch Embassy in Zambia Centre for Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) Centre for the Development Enterprise (CDE) Cooperative League of USA (CLUSA) TRAIDCRAFT Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART) |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Context(s) | Productive landscape |
| Geographic coverage | Zambia |
| Locality | Mazabuka, Mpongwe and Kabwe regions |
| Biodiversity focus | Genetic Resource |
| Development focus | Farrmers of Mazabuka, Mpongwe and Kabwe regions |
| Conservation goals | Promote and develop sustainable methods of agriculture production |
| Poverty reduction goals | Support development of income generation and diversification by enabling viable markets to develop for certified and non certified organic products |
Summary
Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ) is a membership organisation that was founded in 1999 to promote organic agricultural products. It was started by a group of local NGOs and farmers to tap the growing organic products’ market. OPPAZ started its agriculture extension work in three selected project areas of Mazabuka, Mpongwe and Kabwe. These areas were characteristically commercial farm blocks with fertile soil, relatively good rainfall and infrastructure. It targeted both small scale and large commercial farmers for increasing awareness about the organic agriculture and trained them in growing targeted crop species in organic ways. It included training on techniques like green manuring, crop rotation, pot holing, fertility beds and inter cropping systems. Demonstration plots using various techniques were set up for learning and replication with the help of Golden Valley Agriculture Research Trust (GART). Organic certification was organised twice a year through two major European accredited certification bodies for individual producers and small-scale grower cooperatives. It provided the producers an access to European markets. Links with national and international traders like Zambia Export Growers Association (ZEGA) and TRAIDCRAFT were established to market the products. OPPAZ also promoted harvesting and marketing of valuable wild plant products like Marula, Manketti, Baobab, Kigelia Africana, speciality mushrooms, citronella and lemon grass. Within a few years, membership of OPPAZ has increased to 3500 certified organic producers with an area of around 1500 sq km under organic agriculture. Programme has increased agro biodiversity in the project regions with development and promotion of various varieties of targeted field commodity crops like groundnut, sesame, sunflower, millets; a range of herbs, spices and essential oils such as ginger, turmeric, chillies, paprika, fennel, cumin, coriander and lemon grass. Livelihoods of the members have improved through trade.
Conservation impact
Programme has increased agro biodiversity in the project regions with development and promotion of various varieties of targeted field commodity crops like groundnut, sesame, sunflower, and millets; a range of herbs, spices and essential oils, such as ginger, turmeric, chillies, paprika, fennel, cumin, coriander and lemon grass.
Poverty reduction impact
Livelihoods of the members have improved through trade.
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Ecoagriculture
Facilitating access to markets
Reference 1
Nkonde, A., Undated: Case Study Report: Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia: http://www.africanfarmdiversity.net/Documents/OPPAZ_final.pdf
More information
http://www.africanfarmdiversity.net
Related records above this one:
- TRAIDCRAFT (Organisation O0083)