ENTERPRISE Zambia Challenge Fund (EZCF) is a five-year agribusiness support initiative aimed at promoting increased participation of smallholder farmers and fish-farmers into sustainable value chains. The €26million project is part of the European Union’s Support to the Sustainable Commercialisation of Zambia’s Smallholder Farmers Programme.
EZCF supports the achievement of the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, one of the cornerstones of the European Green Deal, and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 by funding business investments that improve the sustainability of agro-food systems. Self Help Africa and Imani Development have been fund managers for this challenge fund.
Since 2020, the EU funded facility has transformed Zambia’s development landscape. With support from EZCF;
🧑🌾 255,961 farmers have been trained in climate-smart practices, agribusiness skills, and sustainable farming methods.
👨🌾 171,979 farmers have been integrated into commercial value chains, ensuring they can sell their products competitively.
👨🌾 304,745 farmers have been supported with improved access to markets for finance, inputs, and outputs.
Behind these statistics are smallholder farmers who can now buy quality seed, a family whose income has improved, and a community with new market opportunities. As EZCF phase one comes to a close, a series of learning papers have been commissioned to extend key lessons and recommendations from review and analysis of EZCF grantees. They explore high priority impact areas including market access, gender inclusiveness and innovative financing, with a view to support effective design, targeting and implementation of future investments and partnerships that seek to unlock green and inclusive growth in agribusiness.
It is hoped that while useful learning (e.g. effective strategies, value chain-specific challenges) can be disseminated to a broader audience interested in Zambia’s growth story, these insights will continue to guide future programmes.
Read and download learning briefs below
