Tailoring innovative agricultural solutions to address Zambia’s climate challenges

In the 2023/24 agricultural season, Zambia grappled with a severe El Niño-induced drought, devastating over 1 million hectares of cropland. This crisis forced the President to declare a national disaster1, as maize yields plummeted by 30-40%, threatening food security for millions. “The lack of rain has devastated the agricultural sector, affecting more than one million families,” said President Hakainde Hichilema, underscoring the scale of the crisis. The agricultural sector’s struggles contributed to a slowdown in real GDP growth to 1.9% year-on-year in the first half of 2024, down from 4.3% during 20232, indicating significant decline in the economy.

Against this backdrop, and recognizing the urgent need for actionable solutions, a three-day workshop in Lusaka, organized by Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA), brought together stakeholders from 18th to 20th November 2024 to explore the possibilities of implementing transformative tools, including Crop Decision Trees (CDTs) and the Zambia National Crop Monitor.

The crop monitor enhances global agricultural monitoring through advanced remote sensing and international consensus, while crop decision trees provide location-specific systematic recommendations for climate risk responses, considering crop stages, and seasonal and sub-seasonal forecasts. The workshop aimed to assess how these innovations could be adapted to the Zambian context to empower farmers with timely, science-based advisories, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future for the country.