Expected impact
June 2011

The RIU innovation platform approach is being explored by the Ministry of Agriculture as one of the potential solutions for harmonising the extension service in Zambia.

Zambia RIU has an ambition to scale up use of Conservation Agriculture research outputs with a view to enhancing environmentally friendly, profitable and sustainable farming of staple food crops in the country. About 96% of the staple food are grown by small-scale farming households in Zambia, which together account for more than 7 million people.

By the end of the programme in 2011, RIU in Zambia will benefit more than 45,000 households in five districts (including three additional districts planned for expansion by January 2009) both directly and indirectly. RIU in Zambia will therefore contribute to the improvement of livelihood of at least 270,000.

RIU in Zambia envisage the following achievements by the end of the programme:

1 Household level
Under platform activities and learning sites RIU in Zambia expects to increase the use of conservation farming/agriculture technologies and practices among 25,000 households through stakeholders.

The platform activities aim at increasing practical understanding of conservation agriculture so that the farmers can adapt and adopt the principles to their local situations.

Under communication activities, more than 50% of the estimated total number of households in Monze and Chipata will be reached through innovative radio programmes on local community media outlets.

These households will have increased awareness about various conservation farming/agriculture technologies, practices and processes, their application and sources of technical support.

Envisaged capacities to be gained by households:

• Households will be more aware of the available conservation farming/agriculture technologies, practices and processes and how they can best be applied for optimal results
• Small-scale farmers will by the end of the programmes have increased capacity to apply conservation farming/agriculture by properly practicing the following:
• converting from conventional ploughing to one or more reduced tillage methods
• improved crop residual management for cover
• early land preparation in the dry season in readiness for planting rains
• accurate application of basal nutrients and in the right place
• early planting at the first possible opportunity (first planting rains)
• early and regular weeding to exhaust the weed bank
• crop rotations with legumes - diversify cropping base
• There would also be enhanced appreciation and use of conservation farming among the 45,000 households in targeted areas
• Lead farmers will be able to support other farmers with basic technical knowledge in conservation farming/agriculture sustainably
• Extension workers from both government and other stakeholder institutional actors will benefit from the pool of trainer of trainers being developed in targeted districts for sustained promotion of c conservation farming/agriculture
• Over 1000 individuals will benefit from the draft power through the voucher system both directly and indirectly (draft power hire services)
• Farmers will have diversified their crop production to include more legumes crops for subsistence and commercial purposes
• Households will have increased yields (productivity) and production
• Households will have improved food security and incomes
• Beyond 2011 there would be long term benefits including:
• further enhancing soil fertility and resilience to climate change
• harnessing nature to manufacture free fertiliser
• providing an alternative carbohydrate source to complement maize
• enhancing dietary intake by provision of extra vitamins and minerals gained through crop diversification
• positioning farmers to respond to future challenges and opportunities

2 Intermediary level
There are more than 56 represented intermediary stakeholders at district and national level. The number is set to increase with the planned expansion to 3 other districts.

• RIU is working with these stakeholders in conservation farming/agriculture at service provider level. Through the platforms and the National Innovation Coalition, represented stakeholders will benefit by way of sharing experiences, co-learning and harmonizing the way information about conservation farming/agriculture and related technologies is disseminated to farmers thereby significantly reducing the distortions. This will improve efficiency and assist in enhancing the confidence of farmers in conservation farming and ultimately contribute to its adoption. There will also be a coordinated approach to the promotion of conservation farming/agriculture in targeted districts.
• Currently there are 17 stakeholders at national level that have influence on government and would support changes and formulation of policies to make them conducive to conservation farming/agriculture implementation in Zambia. These also represent influential institutions such as ministry of agriculture, Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust Conservation Farming Unit Zambia National Farmers Union civil society and media.
• As a way of ensuring sustainability, local organisations are engaged by PANOS Institute Southern Africa (RIU Zambia lead partner on communication) in the dissemination of conservation farming/agriculture information dissemination. This will help to improve on the content development for airing to the audience. Currently most media houses do not give much time to development and scientific issues. Much of the time is given to politics and entertainment. By 2011, it is envisaged that these media houses will have started developing content that contribute to development of local areas. Six radio stations have been targeted for this programme: Radio Sky FM (private commercial), Radio Breeze (Private Commercial), Radio Chikuni (religious community), Radio Kasempa (community) and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation radio one (Public station).
• Private sector actors will have identified business opportunities in the supply of various CF inputs including implements, seed materials and agro-chemicals
• RIU in Zambia also envisage to see an emergency of animal draft power hire services in targeted areas by the end of the programme following the roll out of the conservation farming/agriculture input (including Animal Draft Power) voucher mechanism. . The oxen are meant to benefit about 6,000 individuals through the ox hire services. Whereas the owners of the oxen will run the draft power services as a business, the other beneficiaries will hire to increase on the area ripped for planting their crops under conservation farming /agricultrure.
• Effective mechanisms that enhance private sector participation such as the voucher system will be lobbied and advocated for in the distribution of farmer input support by government (public private partnerships).
• The voucher system will also benefit the local institutions that will be involved in the organisation and provision of oxen and other inputs for sale. Capacity will be built to be able to support local farmers.

Rice Value Chain
Through this initiative RIU estimates to benefit an additional 3,000 households, translating into about 18,000 beneficiaries. Through this initiative households will benefit from; improved accessibility to critical inputs at the right time; improved value addition to rice produce through processing and better packaging; linkages and access to organized and better markets; better prices for rice produce and; increased household incomes and food security. In addition a number of service provider institutions and other value chain actors will benefit from the value addition that will result from this intervention.

Outputs
Two platforms develop linkages facilitating the utilisation of research outputs. RIU Zambia acts as a node for lessons learnt from related activities in Zambia

Outcomes
Relationships and ways of working developed between actors in the innovation system. Lessons learn from getting research into use developed into policy support with the guidance of the National Innovation Coalition

Impact
Strengthened farmer demand for research outputs and improved accessibility to knowledge leading to better focussed research and extension with farmers in control of their destiny.