AICCRA ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME BENEFITS OVER 118,000 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN ZAMBIA

AICCRA ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME BENEFITS OVER 118,000 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN ZAMBIA



By Alfonso Kasongo


The AICCRA Zambia Accelerator Program has seen over 118,000 small-scale farmers in Zambia benefiting since its launch in February last year.

The programme which offers a win-win solution for SMEs and investors, also highlights how science can be used to catalyze finance into climate-smart agriculture for meaningful change and has since attracted an additional US $500,000 in grant funding from a USAID-led global crisis-relief fund that invests in rapid solutions for food insecurity.

According to the consolidated efforts of the AICCRA Zambia Accelerator partner portfolio,data indicates that of the 118,000 farmers, 36% are women .

Since its launch in February 2022, AICCRA and partners have worked closely with a cohort of 14 Zambian agribusinesses, who we grouped into five innovation ‘bundles', each focused on a different value chain or challenge specific to Zambia’s agriculture.

Dr. Inga Mata-Jacobs-IWMI-Southern Africa Rep. speaking after the launch of CSA and CIS Mult-Stakeholder Dialogue in Lusaka,February, 2022

AICCRA Zambia notes that agriculture is a critical sector for strengthening food security and scaling sustainable growth in developing countries stressing the need for significant investment and private sector involvement to fully tap into the sector’s potential to make farmers more resilient.

Estimates suggest small and medium sized agricultural enterprises (SMEs) in Africa need more than USD220 billion/year to effectively respond to forecasted climate impacts and meet the demands of a fast-growing population.


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