By Maziko Phiri,
This year marks 20 years of AGRA advancing agricultural transformation across Africa.
Milestones like this invite reflection. But more importantly, they challenge us to ask a deeper question: what comes next?
From Zambia’s perspective, AGRA@20 is not simply about looking back at what has been achieved. It is about understanding how the systems we have built and the partnerships we have nurtured can help shape the next phase of Zambia’s agricultural transformation. Because sustainable change in agriculture rarely comes from isolated projects, it comes from building systems.
Strengthening the Foundations of Agricultural Transformation
When AGRA began programmes in Zambia in 2007, the country already had enormous agricultural potential. What was needed was a stronger coordination across the key building blocks for a stronger agricultural system: cooperation with research institutions, seed companies, regulatory bodies, markets, and policies that enable a thriving agricultural sector.
Over the past two decades, AGRA has worked closely with partners including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), the Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI), private sector actors, and farmer organizations to strengthen systems within the agriculture sector.
AGRA Investments in crop breeding, seed systems, agro-dealer networks, and market linkages have helped ensure that improved and climate-resilient seed varieties reach farmers faster and more reliably, and markets to provide income opportunities for rural livelihoods.
Just as importantly, these efforts have strengthened Zambia’s institutional capacity to sustain progress and agriculture transformation long into the future.
Investing in People and Institutions
One of the most important lessons from Zambia’s journey is that strong institutions drive long-term agricultural transformation.
AGRA’s partnership with ZARI has helped strengthen crop breeding pipelines for key crops such as soybean, sorghum, and cowpea, while investments in advanced training have built a new generation of Zambian scientists working in seed breeding and seed certification.
Through collaboration with the Seed Control and Certification Institute, AGRA has also supported the development of technical capacity in seed regulation, ensuring that farmers can access certified, high-quality seed that responds to Zambia’s diverse agro-ecological conditions.
These investments may not always be visible in the short term, but they are critical to building resilient agricultural systems. As such, through these collective actions, Zambia’s seed system sector is making a significant impact on the continent.
Catalyzing Private Sector Growth
Another significant shift over the past decade has been the growing role of the private sector in Zambia’s agricultural ecosystem.
Early investments in local seed companies, agro-dealer networks, and aggregation systems have helped unlock new pathways for private sector participation. Today, Zambia is increasingly recognized as a country where agriculture can attract both domestic and international investment.
AGRA’s role has often been to catalyze these connections, bringing together government, investors, researchers, and agribusinesses to help create an environment where innovation and investment can thrive.
Building Resilience in a Changing Climate
Climate change is reshaping agriculture across Africa.
In Zambia, the 2024 drought highlighted the urgent need to strengthen resilience across the food system, from production to storage, processing, and markets.
Through initiatives such as RE-GAIN: Scaling Solutions for Food Loss in Africa, AGRA is working with partners to reduce climate-induced post-harvest losses and protect farmer livelihoods.
Safeguarding harvests is not only about food security, it is about protecting incomes, strengthening markets, and building more resilient food systems.
Looking Ahead
As AGRA reflects on two decades of work across Africa, Zambia’s experience demonstrates what is possible when national leadership, strong institutions, and targeted investments come together around a shared vision.
The next phase of Zambia’s agricultural transformation will require continued collaboration and systems approach between government, research institutions, farmers, investors, and development partners.
Encouragingly, Zambia is increasingly positioning itself as a regional leader in evidence-based agricultural development, using data, research, and policy reform to attract investment and drive inclusive growth.
The journey toward resilient and inclusive food systems is far from complete, but the foundations are stronger than ever.
And as we mark AGRA@20, one thing is clear:
The most important chapters of Zambia’s agricultural transformation are still ahead.