Africa Now is a new project partner for the innocent foundation. We focus our funding on the developing counties where we source fruit and whilst we do not yet source fruit in Zambia we like to support a small number of projects where there is real need.

We really liked Africa Now’s aims in promoting sustainable rural enterprise and ethical trade. It does this by assisting vulnerable smallholder farmers and producers to raise and diversify their production, to improve quality standards and to identify and access new market opportunities and so we chose this project in Zambia as one of our new projects for 2010. The project is already well established and the objectives are well on the way to be achieved, but funding was needed for the last two years of the project, which is the bit we have agreed to support.

In 2006 Africa Now was approached by farming communities in southern Zambia who said that despite working hard on their land they were never able to earn enough even to meet their most basic needs. As well as their harvests being of poor quality, with farmers all growing the same low-quality crops it pushed their earnings down.

At the same time a strong demand for higher-quality organic vegetables was noted through the many lodges, hotels and businesses around Victoria Falls. Unable to source such produce locally however, it is currently flown in from abroad. Africa Now thought there was an opportunity to bridge the gap between the small-scale farmers and the market for quality vegetables, which would give families a viable alternative for income generation. Organic farming methods are a highly practical solution; aside from the clear demand for organic products and the higher price it offers,organic methods have shown to increase crop yields and protect the land.

The aim of the project is to reduce poverty levels in the Kazungula and Livingstone Districts by supporting 400 farming households to grow and sell a wide range of organic vegetables. It has focused on providing training in environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, specifically targeting younger people and women, so that households can grow a range of quality organic vegetables. The project has also been assisting a farmer cooperative to establish and manage a clean and well-organised farmers’ market and supporting farmers to organise themselves to better represent their interests to buyers and engage in regional cross-border trade.

At this stage of the project the main focus is on carrying out the full programme of farmer training and to provide the resources and assistance to the local farmer cooperative to see that the farmers’ market becomes fully operational.

Long-term sustainability is a core objective of the project. Lasting poverty reduction will be ensured through the comprehensive training of farmers and farmer associations and by linking farmers to viable markets. The creation of community-based savings groups and the establishment of village banks will help all households save their increased earnings, and will provide the capital necessary for other households to also benefit from improved livelihood options.

Local ownership by the communities is ensured as the idea came directly from a request for help by farmers and now the communities have bought shares in, and are responsible for the running of the farmers’ market.