IDE Zambia

07/08/2026

Reducing Food Loss, Strengthening Food Systems in Zambia

Harvesting a crop is only the beginning of the journey. For many smallholder farmers, post-harvest losses remain a major challenge due to limited access to appropriate storage solutions, processing technologies, and reliable market linkages.

Through the REGAIN (Reducing Food Losses and Increasing Food Security through Innovative Solutions) project, iDE Zambia is working with smallholder farmers, Farm Business Advisors (FBAs), and other market actors in Kapiri Mposhi and Mumbwa Districts to promote practical Food Loss Reduction Solutions (FLRS). These solutions help farmers protect their harvests, improve household food security, and adapt to the growing impacts of climate change.

Farm Business Advisors are at the heart of the REGAIN project, serving as trusted sources of knowledge and connecting farmers with improved post-harvest technologies and Food Loss Reduction Solutions. In Mumbwa District, Farm Business Advisor Doreen Haligoti is empowering farmers to reduce post-harvest losses by promoting improved handling practices and increasing access to practical solutions that safeguard harvests and strengthen livelihoods.

REGAIN is about more than introducing new technologies, it is about strengthening the systems that enable farmers to access the right solutions through trusted local networks and market-driven approaches. Through collaboration and innovation, the project is:
1. Expanding farmers' knowledge and adoption of food loss reduction practices.
2. Strengthening last-mile delivery systems to improve access to post-harvest solutions for smallholder farmers.
3. Promoting climate adaptation approaches that help farmers reduce risks, protect their harvests, and build resilience to climate-related shocks.

The REGAIN journey continues to demonstrate that sustainable change happens when communities, private-sector actors, and development partners work together toward a shared vision.

Together, we are reducing food losses, improving food security, and building more resilient food systems for Zambia.

07/08/2026

Supporting Women Through Secure Land Ownership

For many rural women in Zambia, agriculture is their primary source of income, yet long-standing social norms have often denied them secure rights to the land they cultivate. Without legal land ownership, women remain vulnerable to land disputes, limited economic opportunities, and reduced participation in household and investment decision-making.

Through the Women's Empowerment through Land Ownership (WELO) Project, iDE Zambia, with the generous support of the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation, is helping address this challenge by strengthening land tenure security for rural households. To date, more than 150 women and men have received official land ownership certificates, providing a foundation for greater economic resilience and inclusive development.

Secure land rights do more than protect property, they empower families to invest in productive assets, adopt sustainable farming practices, access financial services, and make long-term decisions with confidence. By strengthening tenure security, the project is creating opportunities for increased agricultural productivity, improved livelihoods, and greater gender equality in rural communities.

This is the transformative power of strategic partnerships and donor investment: creating lasting change by ensuring that farmers have the security to invest in the land they legally own and the confidence to build a more prosperous future for themselves and future generations.

Watch the WELO impact video to see how secure land ownership is transforming the lives of women and young people in Kalunkumya Chiefdom, Mpongwe District.

In rural Zambia, many women work on farms, but are prevented from o...

18/05/2026

Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada Witnesses Transformative Impact of Her Time To Grow Programme in Mpongwe.

We were privileged to host Zaki Hasan from Global Affairs Canada during his recent visit to Mpongwe District, where he interacted with participants of the Her Time To Grow Programme and witnessed firsthand the positive impact the initiative is having on women, households, and communities.

During the visit, Zaki engaged with members of the Mulela Women Savings Group, Farm Business Advisors Annie Muleba and Priscilla Kambani, as well as women entrepreneurs and land parcel certificate owners who shared inspiring stories of growth, resilience, and transformation. Their experiences highlighted how access to enterprise development, formal land documentation, financial inclusion, improved nutrition, and market linkages is helping families build sustainable livelihoods and improve their wellbeing.

During the visit, Zaki Hasan, who was accompanied by Stu Taylor, CEO - iDE Canada and iDE Zambia Country Director Sylvester Kalonge, also paid a courtesy call on the Mpongwe District Commissioner Mr. Mwambashi Mwitwa to discuss the progress and impact of the programme in the district.

Through the support of Global Affairs Canada, the Her Time To Grow Programme has empowered women across Mpongwe, Lufwanyama, Kapiri Mposhi, and Chibombo districts. Women have become more confident, economically independent, and actively involved in household and community decision-making, demonstrating the lasting impact of inclusive economic growth initiatives.

05/05/2026

Bulondo Bulondo toilets are doing more than improving sanitation, they are restoring dignity, safety, and opportunity in rural communities.

In Monze District, families are gaining access to durable, affordable, and high-quality toilets designed to withstand the challenges of the rainy season. What makes this initiative powerful is not just the solution, but the approach, driven by local entrepreneurs, artisans, women, and youth who are shaping and delivering these innovations within their own communities.

With over 40,000 rural residents set to benefit, this work is contributing to healthier households, stronger local economies, and a future where sanitation is not a privilege, but a standard. Real change happens when communities lead, innovate, and take ownership.

CARE Zambia IDE Zambia IDinsight

Read the full story on page 7 in the Zambia Daily Mail, Saturday newspaper.

24/02/2026

24/02/2026

Strengthening Women’s Futures with Land Parcel Certificates.

On February 19, 2026, iDE Zambia hosted a Parcel Certificate Handover Ceremony at the palace of Chief Kalunkumya in Mpongwe District, officially presenting 28 women with land parcel certificates bringing the total certificates issued in the chiefdom to 130. The land certificates mark a transformative step toward ownership, economic empowerment, and community development for women.

Mpongwe District Commissioner Mr. Mwambashi Mwitwa reaffirmed the Government of the Republic of Zambia’s commitment to gender equity, highlighting the 2021 National Land Policy and 2023 Gender Policy, which aim to empower women with secure land rights, especially in customary land systems where most citizens depend on land for their livelihoods.

He commended iDE Zambia and the traditional leadership for driving land formalization efforts, with support from Global Affairs Canada.

The Canadian High Commission Charge d’Affaires, Ms. Corry Van Gaal, said Canada is committed to making the work of women farmers easier by supporting them through programs such as the Her Time To Grow that is being implemented by iDE in Zambia.

She emphasized that being a farmer is challenging, and being a woman farmer is even greater hardships such as climate change, shrinking land, rising costs, limited education, and little decision-making power, yet they remain among the strongest, despite carrying these burdens for too long. But through the support of $2.1 million to iDE Zambia, Ghana, and Ethiopia, women are gaining access to resources, markets, and ownership of assets.

Chief Kalunkumya highlighted that the program resolves previous land boundary disputes by giving women clarity and security. He emphasized that parcel certificates are meant to enhance livelihoods by providing access to loans, farming inputs, and equipment. He warned that selling of land was prohibited therefore parcel cert recipients were encouraged to use their land to improve their livelihoods and drive development in the chiefdom.

Chief Machiya emphasized that receiving a land parcel certificate is a sign of trust. He urged recipients to use their land responsibly, protect customary land for future generations, and use it productively to develop their communities.

iDE Zambia Country Director, Mr. Sylvester Kalonge, emphasized that the land parcel certificates represent dignity, security, and opportunity, opening doors to investment and growth.
Mr. Kalonge stated that, in partnership with Medeem and Chiefs Kalunkumya and Machiya, 130 women had already secured formal land documentation, with 70 more in the survey process. He celebrated the resilience of rural women transforming their lives through entrepreneurship and emphasized that poverty ends when people have the power to shape their own futures.

Through the Her Time to Grow project, supported by Global Affairs Canada, and the Women Empowerment Through Land Ownership project funded by Manitoba Council for International Cooperation, iDE Zambia is advancing women’s economic empowerment by strengthening their access to productive assets especially land which is a critical foundation for lasting prosperity. Beyond land access, this collective effort has supported over 31,000 smallholder farmers, impacting 155,000 individuals to increase incomes, participate in formal markets, and adopt regenerative agricultural practices.
When women rise, communities thrive.

Mwambashi Mwitwa Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada

28/01/2026

Championing Gender Equity and Social Inclusion in Communities.

“When parents work together, children feel safe and the entire community benefits.” Aaron Kantumoya.

Inspired by his wife Joyce, a Farm Business Advisor, 66-year-old Aaron Kantumoya of Mpongwe District, chose to challenge harmful gender norms by becoming a Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Champion. His support for his wife soon grew to benefit the whole community.

Since completing his GESI training with iDE in 2024, Aaron has endeavored to bring his family closer, supported women-led businesses, and inspired other men to stand by and support their partners. Together with his wife, they now run thriving agribusinesses, host and train village savings groups, and lead GESI discussions. Such discussions have resulted in motivating more men to actively engage in community activities, encouraged women to take up leadership roles and helped reduce gender-based violence.

As role models, Aaron and Joyce lead by example, inspiring other families to embrace teamwork, equality, and positive change.

iDE is committed to empowering women socially and economically by promoting fair gender relations, equal access to resources, and gender-transformative workplaces. Its programs support women’s leadership, decision-making, and opportunities while working to prevent and reduce gender-based violence at the household, community, and institutional levels.

Understanding the important role of men and boys, iDE engages them to adopt positive masculinity, see gender equality as beneficial for everyone, and become champions of change in supporting women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.

21/01/2026

FROM SURVIVAL TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

“Previously, I farmed to survive. Now, I farm as a business.” Agness said.

Agness Mpulila (58), a single mother of Mpongwe District, has a life-changing experience from relying on rain-fed farming and barely making ends meet to a successful Farm Business Advisor.

After participating in iDE Zambia activities of capacity building, mentorship, coaching, market linkages, Agness established her own agro-shop, supplying farm inputs and offering practical training to farmers in her community.

She has since increased maize yield from 15 to 80 × 50 kg bags in just one season. Agness is serving 70 farm families enabling them to locally access inputs, accessing extension messages and accessing commodity markets making savings on transport costs while improving crop productivity.

For the 2025/2026 season, Agness aims to produce over 200 X 50Kg bags of maize, strengthening her household food security and income.

Through improved access to inputs, information sharing and market linkages, Agness has contributed to livelihood improvements for her family and the community thereby transforming her household and the community who now see farming as a viable, and profitable business.

Follow us to see inspiring stories, learn about our programs, and celebrate the impact of our farmers and communities. Together, we are growing a brighter, healthier, and more sustainable future.