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| Impact of Conservation Farming on Smallholder Farmers' Livelihood in Minsundu Camp, Ndola: Zambia
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Gabriel Chipando & Chavula Petros
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Abstract:
Dramatic climate changes and variations that Zambia has been experiencing over the past few decades miffed ongoing crop production, and disrupt the livelihood of farmers, and the food supply chain, especially on smallholder farmers. This is a result of the overdependence of most crops on alternating rainfall patterns, however, there is a rising concern about climate change and climate variations' impacts on Zambia's national food security. Food security is a constant top issue because the annual production just meets the nation's food needs limiting food exports for agricultural produce. National food security has also been affected by food loss due to its perishable character after harvest. In addition, horticultural crops are among those whose yield and nutritional quality are degraded due to short life span on shelves of most smallholder farmers in Zambia. In Zambia, conservation farming is one of the interventions put in place to adapt to the changing climate. Conservation farming has been highly recommended as an effective agriculture system for improving yield and reducing inorganic fertilizers usage among smallholder farmers in Zambia. However, this study was conducted in Minsundu Camp in Ndola district, Zambia among non-adopter and adopters of conservation farming. The study assessed the impacts and contribution of conservation farming among smallholder farmers' households in the study area. Therefore, the study observed the potential benefits of conservation farming to top-end agriculture in Minsundu camp. It was observed that conservation farming provided maximum benefits among adopters in-terms of increased maize yield, soil fertility and productivity. In the long-run conservation, farming can aid to poverty alleviation through increased household income, crop yields, and climate change resilience to smallholder farmers in the study area. Results from this study are vital for policy makers and future research gaps on conservation farming in Zambia specially to improve agricultural Maize production among smallholder farmers.
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