Absolutely! There is enormous potential to improve agriculture in Zambia. Soil is sufficient to grow maize yielding 130 – 140 bu per acre. Land is plentiful and awarded by the village chief at no cost to the recipient. Hybrid seed from Syngenta, Dekalb and Pannar (Pioneer) are available locally. A standard mix of NPK and Sulfur commercial fertilizer is available. There is great potential to apply conservation farming concepts to rebuild soil slowly over time. There is great potential to improve basic agricultural methods and business concepts. Rainfall is typically the same as Iowa, though it is more concentrated from December through March, the growing season.

What Zambians are experiencing have commonly been expressed as triggers for change. The status quo is becoming so burdensome that there is a desire to pursue change. Zambian smallholder farmers and their families have experienced entrenched poverty and hunger that continue to spiral downwards due to climate stress, degraded soils, and a lack infrastructure and government support. A recent crisis has pushed the population to reach out and seek a new way of doing things. The current drought has resulted in total crop failure in the Petauke District of Zambia. Our local partners express a sense of desperation at their circumstances. Local community members can see that a new way of doing things may improve their lives. Our team listened to many villagers and local leaders who expressed the desire to improve agriculture and business so they might become self-sufficient. They have embraced our team, shown up at field training sessions in significant numbers, welcoming education to begin a new chapter. Villagers in the Petauke District of Zambia are experiencing all three triggers at once. In addition, they have committed leadership in the form of pastors, the village chief and the mayor who have demonstrated that commitment through action.

Agricultural development is a process that has taken nearly 160 years in the U.S. beginning in 1862 with the Land Grant Act establishing colleges of agriculture. This was followed by agricultural research, extension service to bring science to farmers, loan programs, and youth 4-H and FFA clubs in combination with a robust private agribusiness sector. Roads and water infrastructure developed alongside agriculture, supporting its progress. Zambia, on the other hand, is at a much earlier stage in its agricultural development due to a variety of governmental and environmental factors. The colonial government spent most of its resources on advancing mining rather than agriculture or social services for Africans. Following independence in 1964, the government began investing in secondary schools and universities. However, by the 1980s a once growing economy was curtailed by falling copper prices, HIV AIDS, cholera, climate disruption, and eventually national debt. Investment in agricultural education, extension, youth programs and infrastructure has been slow reaching smallholder farmers. Though we will not build roads, our programs aim to bring research to farmers with education and support, enhance access to quality seed and fertilizer through a loan program, provide agricultural education to school children, and invest in community gardens to bring food to the table earlier in the season and enhance nutrition. Much of our approach replicates those measures that advanced agriculture in the United States.

No, we will remain steadfast in our work. During a crisis, many agencies and governments must work together to bring relief to people in need. Some will focus on providing food and essential services to maintain life. It is essential that other programs simultaneously work to build resilience and enhance agriculture. Zambia-Iowa Agricultural Partners is a nonprofit organization that provides such programs. Our mission is twofold, engage in sustainable agribusiness practices with smallholder farmers, and develop a community wide hunger alleviation plan that will serve to aid recovery and enhance resilience when the next crises strikes.

We promise to carefully steward your donation as we implement our programming to assist smallholder farmers in Zambia. Your financial resources will bring agricultural experts from the Heartland to Zambia, assessing the situation on the ground, developing programs, and training leaders who will in turn train local farmers. We will provide transportation for local leaders to visit farmers in their fields, reinforcing training and assisting farmers to scout their crops. Your gifts will allow us to print educational resources for farmers and school children alike. We plan to focus on vegetable gardens for the community and schools, bringing food to the table earlier in the season and expanding nutritional content. We plan to administer a loan program, providing quality seed and fertilizer to improve yields. We plan to implement measures to decrease post- harvest loss. All this because you generously gave of your hard-earned dollars. Since we don’t have any infrastructure, you won’t be paying to keep the lights on or rent office space. There will be some overhead costs such as the website to keep you informed or accounting to make sure our books are square, but we will work hard to keep those low.