Strengthening Community Based Institutions for Biodiversity

Our Organization

Future Community Foundation

What is the name of your solution?

Strengthening Community Based Institutions for Biodiversity

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

The project is an initiative to strengthen local community based institutions to come together to safeguard and conserve the local biodiversity

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

Climate change is one of the most serious environmental problems facing mankind worldwide. It affects agriculture in several ways, including its direct impact on crop production. Climate change, which is attributable to the natural climate cycle and human activities, has badly affected agricultural productivity in Africa region. Available evidence shows that climate change is global, likewise its impacts, but the most adverse effects will be felt mainly by developing countries, especially those in Africa, due to their low level of coping capabilities. Southern Africa country Zambia is one of these developing countries. 

The vulnerability of ecosystems and of rural communities is increasing in the face of various economic, social and climate phenomena. The people most affected by this situation generally include indigenous communities, women, persons with disability and youth who are most reliant on these resources to sustain their livelihoods.

These issues are mainly due to: a) overexploitation of forest resources and encroachment of the protected areas as well as uncontrolled forest; b) extensive crop (maize) production practices especially through slash
and-burn agriculture which is affected by droughts, soil infertility, quality of inputs such as seed and, experiences and skills for both smallholder and commercial farmers; c) increased forest conversion for energy, especially charcoal and firewood, d); forest conversion for mining and infrastructural development; and e) unplanned land use that compromise forest integrity and biodiversity conservation.

Most of the population in Zambia (58.2 percent) live in rural areas and are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Poverty in Zambia remains
very high. With a Human Development Index of 0.586, Zambia ranks 139 out 189 countries globally. Poverty is disproportionately rural. Currently, 74% of Zambia’s rural population still lives in poverty-more than double the level of urban poverty at 35%.
Zambia’s rural poor, largely dependent on agriculture and natural resources, are vulnerable to an inherently highly variable climate. Droughts and floods have increased in frequency and intensity over the past few decades and have adversely impacted food and water security, water quality, energy and livelihoods of the people, especially in rural areas. Because of human-induced global climate change, Zambia’s climate has been changing over the last decades and projected additional changes are significant over the next decades. Zambia, despite being one of the most forested countries in African, it has been identified as one of the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting countries as a result of agricultural practices, land use, land use change and forestry. This is mainly due to: a) over-exploitation of forest
resources and encroachment of the protected areas as well as uncontrolled forest fires, b) extensive crop production practices especially through slash-and-burn agriculture, c) increased forest conversion for energy, especially charcoal and firewood, d) unplanned land use that compromise forest integrity and biodiversity conservation.
The country’s future trends are towards a higher average temperature, a possible decrease in total rainfall, and some indication of more intense rainfall events. In this case, we are assessment of potential climate impacts shows that the trends will seriously undermine efforts to improve the livelihoods of Zambians if left unaddressed, especially on sectors such
as water, agriculture, forestry, wildlife, tourism, mining, energy, infrastructure and health. 

These are however, facing serious threats from practices that include human encroachment for settlement, substance agriculture, mining activities, and charcoal production and logging, uncontrolled late season forest fires and poaching. This aims to integrate the link between livelihoods and the integrity of ecosystems. This link is critical regarding how communities
use and manage forest resources. Rural livelihoods depend on forest products for day-to-day subsistence including fuel, shelter, food, pasture and fodder, medicines and household utility items. Forest products also provide alternative economic opportunities such as income generation through employment and small businesses.

Farmers in Africa face prospects of tragic crop failures reduced agricultural productivity, increased hunger, malnutrition and diseases. It is projected that crop yield in Africa may fall by 10-20% by 2050 or even up to 50% due to climate change (Jones and Thornton, 2003), particularly because African agriculture is predominantly rain-fed and hence fundamentally dependent on the impulses of weather. As the people of Africa strive to overcome poverty and advance economic growth, this phenomenon threatens to deepen vulnerabilities, erode hard-won gains and seriously undermine prospects for development. There is therefore the need for concerted efforts toward tackling this menace.

Zambia  is recognized as being vulnerable to climate change.

Climate change and global warming if left unchecked will cause adverse effects on livelihoods in Zambia, such as crop production, livestock production, fisheries, forestry and post-harvest activities because the rainfall regimes and patterns will be changed, floods that devastate farmlands would occur, increase in temperature and humidity which increases pest and disease would occur and other natural disasters like floods, ocean and storm surges, which not only damage Zambia’ livelihood but also cause harm to life and property, would occur.

What is your solution?

The proposed project provides a strong starting point and solution finding to rural Zambian communities who are involved in agriculture activities.

These Rural communities in Zambia are one of the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns and the increased frequency of natural disasters create challenges for the indigenous  society of Zambia and many other African Countries.

The rural population, who produce more than 70% of the food in Zambia, is extremely poor and faces malnutrition and disease. Moreover, the anticipated benefit from trade liberalization has failed to trickle down to the African farmer, coupled with the inefficient local marketing systems. In addition, the farmers are slow in changing their farming practices such as bush burning, deforestation and rain-fed agriculture and they lack the requisite education, information and training necessary to adapt to climate change.

The high climate variability that characterizes the African continent accepts that people have developed successful indigenous adaptation strategies. There is need for effective capacity building to strengthen the most vulnerable group in agricultural production with the requisite knowledge and information necessary for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Through this project, implementing agency aims to initiate a multi stakeholder dialogue to develop a community-based adaptation strategy for the communities in Mumbwa District Zambia. The project is in line with the existing issues being faced by the local populace of the area and would focus efforts towards the following:

• Increasing awareness on linkages between climate change and food security.
• Improving food security through adoption of climate smart agriculture practices.
• Enhance adaptation and preparedness of the vulnerable communities of the area.

The project will build the capacities of the local community of Zambia to cope with the impacts of climate change.

We use the broad range of information and communications technologies (ICT) available, whether email, Internet, mobile telephone, or community radio, enables people to access information and to communicate, allowing them to make more informed decisions and connect with others.

Our experience and knowledge of applying ICT to development is based on 5 years of experience of working in the field in ten different communities in Zambia. Our activities focus on agricultural livelihoods, economic development, and improving the education and health sectors where we implement technical and social innovations that create and enhance development opportunities.  

When we talk about the use of ICT for development we are referring  to the appropriate and sustainable use of information, communication and supporting technologies, both modern (PC, Internet, mobile phone) and traditional (radio, television), to support the development objectives of people and organizations. 

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

Mumbwa is district that specializes in crop farming and due to seasonal rainfall it is facing challenges as they cannot grow crops year out because of water shortage. This is increasing hunger, poverty and unemployment among the people of Mumbwa, further causing unsustainable livelihoods. Challenges that include: 1)lack of access to finances,2) shortage of skills, 3) insufficient information on how to set up and run livestock business and 4)inadequate training and mentorship opportunities, are making it hard for them to diversify to livestock farming. Future Community Foundation aims to
address these by distributing small livestock that are chickens, goats and pigs to small-holder farmers in Mumbwa district. Future Community Foundation aims to target youths of Mumbwa community and women to ensure sustainable livelihoods, reduce the number of people living below the poverty line by creating employment. Livestock productivity in Mumbwa district is constrained by poor animal husbandry practices, seasonally poor
nutrition, and accessibility of water in the dry season, inadequate livestock infrastructure and high disease incidences. Farmers are poorly educated in these areas and, despite the abundant rangeland, dry season animal nutrition is poor due to low protein availability from grass-based pastures.

Project Objectives

The aim of the proposed project is to build a sustainable livelihoods programme and adaptation to climate change with the support of rural Zambian farming community. The project will provide scientific solutions to increase the adaptive capacities of the rural farmers. The project will contribute in the best agronomic practices to suit the agro-environment of the region and develop a sustainable livelihood in age of climate change.

The aim of the project will be accomplished through the following objectives:

• To sensitize the farming community in rural Zambia about the linkages between agriculture, food security and climate change.
• To promote adoption of climate adoptive agriculture practices suitable for the agro-ecological region of rural Zambia through capacity building and training of farmers.
• Integration of Indigenous knowledge and practices into formal climate change adaptation strategies.
• There is need for effective capacity building to strengthen the most vulnerable group in agricultural production with requisite knowledge and information necessary for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Establish a resource centre to serve as information for the farmers to get latest information on climate change.

Technology helps us to gather, access and disseminate information more
quickly. It also enables people to communicate faster, more efficiently and
involve more people in the process. Technologies that support information
gathering, storage and dissemination include a wide range of offline and
online applications including databases, Web applications and social‐
networking tools.   

Communication enables people to join forces, share views and ideas, and co‐
create solutions, thereby enabling them to address their own individual
problems. To be effective, new forms of communication need to build on,
rather than replace, traditional means of communication. Traditional means
of communication include meetings, radio, television and fixed telephony.  

Access to information enables people to make informed decisions which are
beneficial for both their private and professional lives. Information that is
readily available needs to be based on local needs and should be accessible in ways that people can understand. Where not available, information needs to be developed – preferably by the target group itself. The target group should not only consist of consumers, but should also include those who generate information.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

The Future Community Foundation has ongoing small-livestock out grower project that provide valuable support to the livestock sector in Central province through strengthening rural community’s capacity for
animal disease control and reducing the incidences of common small livestock diseases that causes mortality in Zambia. It will also conduct mentorship and market orientation connecting farmers to marketing strategies on how they can profit through selling on wholesale to potential customers and is developing market-oriented extension manuals for improved pig, goat, and poultry production and marketing. Due to a range of institutional, technical and procurement related constraints, the FCF will
engage government stakeholders through the ministry of agriculture, livestock and youths and agricultural extension officers in Mumbwa to sensitize farmers. They will also receive training on how they can
produce small livestock up to until the processing and marketing stage to reduce failures. FCF partnership with World Bank (WB) and African Development Bank (AfDB) investments, will significantly lift smallholder livestock productivity and market access due to the firm foundation that it is built on.

FCF working collaboratively with the Government of Zambia, through the Ministry of Youth and Child Development (MYSCD) in providing opportunities for youth projects from youth associations to receive entrepreneurship training aimed at increasing empowerment of young people and youths with disabilities. FCF is in collaboration with out-grower households, SMEs and Commercial Farmers in the field of stocking and restocking as an avenue for improving rural poor household income and quality of life. Project Coordinator (Clinton Gando) has three years of experience in poverty reduction project management working in the World Bank Lusaka Country Office participating in promoting shared prosperity in Zambia. Project Financial Manager (Jessica Malamba), a holder of BSc in Banking and Finance, has three years as a Financial Administrative Officer at Tangent Business Challenge, she assisted the director with operational activity scheduling, depositing of cheques, making bank transactions of any payments within and abroad, credit collection, accounts receivables and balancing books of accounts. Treasurer (Macvon Kaambwe) holds a Bachelors in Accounts and Financing from UNICAF University. He is our Administrative & Finance trustee ensures effective delivery of the project’s outputs by efficiently managing the administrative aspects of project implementation, consistent with the objectives of the project and its annual work plans and budgets, ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. We have done this before as a strong and competent team we are, we believe we will achieve this innovation. 

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Support local economies that protect high-carbon ecosystems from development, including peatlands, mangroves, and forests.

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

Our solution's stage of development:

How many people does your solution currently serve?

5000

Why are you applying to Solve?

Productive and Resilient Livestock sectors to expand income earning opportunities that are decent and sustainable, especially for youths and women in Mumbwa. Harnessing Youth Potential for Transformational Impact through Small-Livestock Value Chains. The challenges affecting the Small- livestock farmers in Mumbwa are more apparent and include lack of access to finance, skills shortages, insufficient information on how to setup and run livestock businesses, inadequate mentorship and training opportunities, and absence of focus on product innovation and process. Addressing these challenges by assisting youths and women of Mumbwa financially, through trainings and sensitization will help us reduce poverty, end hunger, create decent employment and empower women of the community especially in women headed households and other marginalized groups.. In Mumbwa, small livestock production is characterized in the traditional production system, small-scale farmers raise birds/animals and sell them with little value addition to individual customers on thelive market. FCF is working to leverage modern small livestock breeding and production, and meat processing system, establishing large commercial farms that optimize margins through activities of scale,up-to-date technologies, and high-yield farming practices.

The proposed project will be implemented in rural areas of Zambia over a period of two years. The first six months will serve as the preparation phase of the project, during which data collection, research analysis and information and communication materials will be developed. The latter half of the first year of the project will be devoted to organizing multi-stakeholder dialogue and awareness campaigns.

The second year of the project will be devoted to large scale promotion of appropriate technologies and best practices through training and capacity building workshop and establishment of resource centre. Also during this phase of project the best indigenous knowledge will be incorporated with the community for sustainable livelihood.

The purpose of this activity is to understand the current situation in the rural Zambia. This would include data collection and analysis of socioeconomic and environmental aspects of the proposed project area. To develop a suitable strategy for climate change adaptation, it is essential to first understand the current level of knowledge that the local communities possess. Based on the knowledge gaps, information, education and communication material will be developed for the farming community. Most often farming communities observe changes in weather conditions, crop productivity, soil fertility etc. during the exercise such insights and observations on climate change will also be recorded.

Data and survey collected during the above exercise will help in identification of major problems associated with climate change in a particular area.

Development of awareness Material:

Based on preliminary discussion with project stakeholders some printed and Audio- Visual material will be developed to inform the local farming communities on climate change and risks and threats on livelihood. Booklets, leaflets and potters will be developed in local language to create larger impact and bridge gaps. Documentaries and films made by various agencies and NGOs on climate change adoption will also be translated as per need of locals.

Awareness Drive:

The purpose of Awareness creation campaigned to achieving the project success. Farmers will adopt climate adoption agriculture practices only after they understand the consequences of climate change on food security and livelihood. Following component and activities will be undertaken to sensitize the communities.

Community Meetings: Project team will initiate community meetings to discuss about the project and also share information on climate change risks and food security threats.

Distribution of IEC material:

Information, education and communication material developed in local language will be distributed which will helps in developing a better understanding of the issues and proposed project objectives. Also some film and documentary will be screened to community, to showcase the threats of climate change.

Identification and Promotion of area specific agricultural activities: Area specific technologies that are aligned to agro-ecological principles will be promoted in the selected project villages. Adoption of such technologies will help in improving the biological, social and economic systems resilient to climate change. Training will be given to the identified farmers on various aspects of Sustainable livelihoods and adaptation to climate change agriculture practices.

Training and capacity Building:

The most important component of this project is training and capacity building of farmer to adopt climate change agriculture of livelihood.

Various batches will be made to accommodate farmers in a team and training will be a combination of theory and on field demonstrations.

Trainings will be imparted on following aspects of climate adopted agriculture management

• Crop identification and management
• Conservation Agriculture
• Livestock management
• Agro-forestry
• Fisheries Management
• Soil and water management
• Risk insurance and management
• Weather forecasting
• Technological interventions and indigenous knowledge.

Training sessions will also be given on some traditional agricultural practices like – mulching, intercropping and organic manure production. All the training sessions will be given in local language so as to facilitate easy learning and understanding amongst the farmers.

Demonstration fields will be set up on a community land or a plot of land will be taken on lease from a farmer. The theory classes will be supplemented by conducting demonstrations in the demo plot.

Indigenous knowledge and best practices:

Also identified some best proven indigenous farming practices will we incorporate with the new scientific technologies will introduce to help in improving production and make balance on environment.

Resource Centre:

During the project period a resource centre will be establish in a suitable place which be we accessible to all project stockholders. This resource centre also equipped with weather forecasting system to feed community regular weather forecast. The resource centre will serve as an information hub for farming related activities. Demonstration and training will also be conducted in the centre so as to train the farmers with the latest technology and innovation.

Apart from educational material, quality seeds, cropping material, organic manure, pesticides, insecticides etc. will be made available to the farmers.

As weather forecasting plays a vital role in cropping success or failure, the resource centre will also serve as a local weather station. Weather forecasting will be done in the morning so that farmers can plan their activities accordingly.

To overcome the barriers of climate adoptive agriculture farmers should also have regular information on current issues related to climate change and agriculture. This can be achieved through resource centre.

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

Business model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Clinton Gando