In November 2016, the Zambia Food Change Lab convened more than 60 participants in Chongwe District. Over two days, this diverse group of citizens – including civil servants, farmers, journalists, entrepreneurs and members of civil society – delved into understanding Zambia’s food system. The group moved through a facilitated process, exploring the problems, analysing the system and identifying leverage points to change it. The evolving food system map formed the backbone of this meeting. Tacked onto the wall of the meeting venue and consisting of four different areas – consumption, production, processing and access – it became a living document, harvesting diverse viewpoints and tapping into the collective wisdom of the group. On the first day, the group went on learning journeys, visiting different elements of the Zambian food system. Participants were invited to use all their senses to immerse themselves in the situation and step outside their expert roles. They visited a charcoal production site, a food processing factory, an outdoor market and a diversified family farm, among others. On their return, there was a perceptible shift in mood. Instead of talking from an institutional perspective, participants were speaking as concerned or inspired citizens and accordingly added new insights to the food system map. On the second day, participants moved into solution mode. Looking at Zambia’s food system map in terms of actors, policies and issues, they identified four leverage points where interventions have the potential to shift the system.
Leverage points comprised:
- diversifying production by moving from monoculture maize production to agroecological food production systems to address degraded croplands, the loss of biodiversity, access to water and adaption to changing climatic conditions;
- raising knowledge and awareness, with a focus on sustainable natural resource use to address deforestation and charcoal production and promote renewable energy alternatives;
- improving local food processing capacity to enable access to healthy traditional foods and appreciation of informal markets; and
- creating an inclusive policy environment with space for citizens to participate in defining Zambia’s food system.
