Strengthening agricultural value chains through Multi-Actor Partnerships in Zambia

Zambia was hit by a severe drought in 2024, resulting in big challenges for access to food and nutrition. As part of efforts to foster collaboration and enhance the implementation of sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural projects, the Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF), organised an event dubbed “MAP Day” for Multi-Actors Partnerships in Zambia on November 5th, 2024.

To maximize outreach within the country’s value chains, foster excellence, and ownership, the gathering brought together representatives from four Multi-Actors Partnerships: Seed Co, Mwai Wathu, Mababe Milling, and Ryli Beef, under the Matching Grant Fund (MGF).

During the joint exchange, ABF provided an overview and update of the MGF process. The focus was on offering MAP representatives the opportunity to present their projects to one another, followed by a peer-to-peer session to discuss challenges, opportunities, and potential synergies. The bilateral meetings allowed the ABF team to engage with each MAP individually in a more focused setting. These one-on-one sessions helped clarify outstanding administrative issues, including payment plans, capacity-building opportunities, and project-specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The discussions also explored the human capacity development strategies of each MAP, enabling ABF to offer tailored support for strengthening the administrative and financial processes within the partnerships.

A key highlight from the meetings was the shared interest in the Farmer Business School (FBS) approach, which focuses on empowering farmers with the business skills they need to succeed. All the four MAPs expressed enthusiasm for rolling out this approach, seeing it as a powerful tool to support the broader goals of the MGF initiative and enhance farmers’ long-term viability.

Beyond the technical discussions and project updates, the in-person meetings served to strengthen relationships and build trust among the MAPs and ABF representatives. By offering a space for candid conversations and mutual learning, it helped establish a solid foundation for future collaboration and partnership, ensuring that the selected MAPs are well-equipped to meet the challenges of project implementation.