The European Union together with the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment in Zambia have today successfully launched the 4-year Zambia For Agro-forestry, Biodiversity and Climate (Z4ABC) project.
The Z4ABC is worth EURO 4.1 million and will target of at least 50,000 smallholder farmers and community members in the Lower Zambezi – Luangwa – Nyika (ZLN) landscape. The Project will also supports the integrated transformation of selected agriculture, forestry, and wildlife-based value chains (VCs) in the ZLN corridor.
Matthias Reusing, Counsellor for the European Green Deal, Rural Development and Trade at the EU Delegation to Zambia and COMESA said: “The European Union and its member states, as Team Europe, remain committed to uplifting the lives of the Zambian people through deliberate climate-relevant projects that will see the country achieve its NDCs to cut down carbon emissions. Climate-relevant strategies contribute to the sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems in low and middle-income countries.”
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment and Co-chair of Z4ABC National Action Steering Committee, Mr. John Msimuko said, “The Government is in a hurry to expedite processes that will support crucial and meaningful changes in the agroforestry, biodiversity, and climate sectors through viable value chains that will support the livelihoods of hardworking Zambians. Engaging in climate relevant value chains is important to Zambia as it will help cut down carbon emissions and achieve the NDCs”.
The Z4ABC is being implemented by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), in collaboration with three research institutions – the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), the Viikki Tropical Resources Institute (VITRI) at the University of Helsinki (UoH) and the Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) – from Finland. The University of Zambia (UNZA) and the Mulungushi University (MU) are involved in the project implementation.
The Z4ABC project aims at contributing to climate-relevant, productive and sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems. EU IN ZAMBIA
