Exploring the future of organic farming

Nawa Mutumweno provides insights into the Zambia National Organic Conference (ZNOC) scheduled for the In-Service Training Trust in Lusaka this October

Organised by the Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ) along with other actors in organic agriculture, ZNOC will be held from 1-3 October under the theme ‘Actualising resilient food systems and the right to food through organic farming.’  

This is premised on the need to generate widespread interest in organic food systems and to enhance practical stakeholder collaborations for production, marketing and enhancement of just food systems. Further, it will raise the visibility of smallholder organic farmers, giving them an opportunity to interact with suppliers, buyers, processors, financiers, researchers, and policy makers, thus in the process influencing policy reform and forging partnerships for production, financing, full value chain supply, value addition and marketing.

The conference expects to attract 150 participants of which 125 will be local and 25 foreign. Anchored on readily available local resources, indigenous knowledge and environmentally friendly and socially-acceptable scientifically proven technologies, organic farming is the key to increased output of a diverse range of quality products, assuring continuous availability of food and balanced nutrition. 

Positive stakeholder involvement, especially by finance institutions and various government initiatives are necessary for financing smallholder farmers through loans, grants and donations to enable full supply chain development from farm to fork in which farmer-managed organisations have real stakes.

The primary objective of the Conference is to identify and document salient features for use in designing a commercial organic programme focused on production of food and medicinal plants for local and external markets. Specific objectives include:

- to support establishment of a commercial organic programme for joint ventures in production, value addition and marketing referenced on strengthened farmer organisations in light of changing climate documented and profiled attributes of sustainable partnerships.

- to showcase available organic products, inputs and support technologies for ecological organic agriculture in Zambia.

- to identify, document and strategise mechanisms for awareness and dissemination of ecological organic agriculture benefits and facts to stakeholders and communities in Zambia.

- to identify and document Zambian signature organic value chains encompassing agriculture and non-timber forest products for enhancing food security, nutrition and income needs.

- to identify, document and profile the attributes of sustainable partnerships and joint ventures for production, value addition and marketing of organic products with reference to strengthened farmer organisation in light of changing climate. 

It needs to be emphasised that an ever increasing, usually insatiable demand for organic products underpins the economic vibrancy of organic farming with potential to increase income earnings through low-cost inputs and price premiums on certified organic products. Needless to say, its’ scaling up and out would migrate Zambian smallholder farmers to profitable commercial farming. Many smallholder farmers are structurally excluded from profitable commercial engagements mainly on account of being poorly resourced.

OPPAZ, as Official Host, will also use the event as a launch platform for the Sixth African Organic Conference (6AOC) to be held in Lusaka in 2026. Zambia, through OPPAZ, has been authorised to host this continental organic showpiece on behalf of the African Organic Network (AfroNet) and the African Union (AU) led coalition on ecological organic agriculture actors. 

The convocation shall exchange knowledge, information, practices and experiences through paper presentations, exhibitions and organic farm field visits.