Zambia can meet growing food demand: How to fix what’s standing in its way

Published Jul 28, 2022

Tridge summary

The article highlights the challenges and opportunities for African countries, especially Zambia, in adapting to climate change to meet food demand. It discusses the impact of droughts and changing weather patterns on agriculture and food security in East Africa. The article points out that Zambia, with its suitable land and water, has the potential to meet food demand by increasing agricultural exports and processing its produce for better prices in export markets. However, regional integration and efficient transport and logistics services are necessary for competitive cross-border markets. The article also emphasizes the need for reliable market information, clear trade policy signals, regional cooperation to improve transport corridors, and enforcement of fair market competition to support Zambian farmers and improve food supplies in the region.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

African countries face great challenges in adapting to climate change to meet growing demand for food. The current drought in East Africa is the latest manifestation of changing weather patterns. But countries such as Zambia, where there is good land and water, have major opportunities to meet food demand by growing agriculture exports and processing their produce. Zambian farmers can earn substantial returns from increased production. Their production can also alleviate the pressures in countries such as Kenya. To realise these opportunities, Zambian products have to reach export markets at good prices. For this, Zambia needs competitive cross-border markets and efficient transport and logistics services. However, regional grain and oilseeds trade is not working for producers in Zambia or for buyers in East Africa, with huge variances in agricultural commodity prices in Kenya and in Zambia. Our reality check on the workings of cross-border markets points to regional integration ...

Source: The Conversation