By Chintu Malambo
Nearly 50,000 smallholder farmers in Zambia have already adopted climate-smart technologies under the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) project, a €32 million European Union–funded initiative aimed at transforming agriculture and strengthening resilience against climate change.
The seven-year project, which began in 2019 and runs until 2027, is targeting 60,000 farmers across 27 districts in Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western, and Copperbelt provinces. Six years into implementation, the initiative is being credited with boosting productivity, diversifying incomes, and linking farmers to markets.
According to Mphatso Mtendere, Chief Technical Advisor for SIFAZ at the Food and Agriculture Organization, the project’s strength lies in building knowledge directly with farmers.
“Our work focuses on co-developing solutions with farmers, ensuring research results reach the field, and strengthening policies and markets to support sustainable farming,” he said.
Rather than confining experiments to research stations, SIFAZ takes innovations to farmers’ own fields, testing techniques under real-life conditions. This adaptive approach has proved critical in gaining trust and encouraging adoption.
Dr. Christian Thierfelder, Research Lead at CIMMYT, emphasized that technologies are not just about yield.
“We look at income generation, nutrition, labour requirements, and farmer acceptance. Sustainable practices only work if they are practical and affordable for smallholders,” he explained.
In Monze, Senior Agricultural Officer Tawonga Mkandawire has guided crop intensification trials where maize is intercropped with soybeans, pigeon pea, and gliricidia.
“These combinations improve soil fertility, enhance nutrition, and provide additional feed for livestock. This is vital for a cattle-led province like Southern Province,” she said.
Farmers like Joseph Banda have seen their livelihoods transformed.
“Before SIFAZ, I only planted maize. Now I grow soybeans too. My soil is healthier, I have more food for my cattle, and I can sell the surplus to pay school fees. Producing my own feed means my cows are healthier, and I sell milk at the local market,” Mr Banda said.
Fodder crops such as mucuna, lablab, and brachiaria are also reducing dependence on commercial feeds, saving money, and boosting productivity.
In Kasama, Agriculture Assistant Morris Kalumbi has been supporting cassava trials under conservation agriculture. Traditionally planted on ridges, cassava is now sown using zero-tillage methods, intercropped with beans or groundnuts.
“Cassava grown under conservation agriculture consistently outperforms ridge-planted cassava,” Mr Kalumbi said. “Intercropping provides early harvests of legumes, which means extra food and income while cassava matures. Farmers are seeing results and gradually adopting the system.”
This approach also positions cassava as a resilient alternative to maize, which has suffered from repeated droughts in Northern Province.
Beyond the fields, SIFAZ is transforming how farmers do business. Groups have been trained in produce aggregation, bulk input acquisition, mechanization services, and green enterprises. Some now run their own input supply and mechanization centres, creating local jobs while reducing costs.
A digital extension platform is also being rolled out to deliver real-time advisories on agronomy, markets, and weather. Mr Mtendere noted that this will ensure knowledge reaches farmers nationwide, with printed materials for areas with limited connectivity.
SIFAZ has influenced national policy through piloting components of the electronic voucher system and contributing to the National Agricultural Mechanization Strategy. In Northern Province, farmers are increasingly accessing mechanization services thanks to awareness campaigns and public-private partnerships.
With just two years remaining before the project concludes in 2027, Mr Mtendere says the focus will be on consolidating results and embedding them into national extension systems
“The goal is to leave farmers climate-smart, market-ready, and future-focused. SIFAZ is not just teaching them to grow crops; it’s equipping them to thrive in a changing world,” he said.
Through collaboration between the European Union, FAO, CIMMYT, and the Ministry of Agriculture, SIFAS has demonstrated how sustainable intensification can improve livelihoods, strengthen household resilience, and contribute to national food security-NAIS