4th Congress Hidden Hunger

Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) CEO Dale Lewis will be attending the 4th Congress Hidden Hunger at the University of Hohenheim in Germany. Among the things Dale will share is about how COMACO works with smallholder farmers in Zambia to implement diverse and rotational crop systems, incentivized by value-added products sold under the brand name It’s Wild! helping these communities have increased food security and nutrition.

The 4th Congress Hidden Hunger brings together members of different disciplines: nutritionists, agricultural scientists, economists and sociologists. Moreover, the Congress will encourage the dialogue between scientists, policy-makers and representatives of non-governmental organizations and the private sector. It is dedicated to review the available evidence on the double burden of malnutrition, present new research findings on underlying causes and consequences, feature innovative strategies and discuss the roles and responsibilities of governments, development organizations, civil society and the private sector in combating the double burden of malnutrition.

COMACO has been involved with community-based conservation in the Luangwa Valley for the last 15 years, and in partnership with organizations such as Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), collaborators in local government and other committed partner organizations and donors, COMACO is able to continue working with rural communities to help them increase their food security. When we increase food security, it boosts their self-sufficiency to generate community-level income without endangering local wildlife and other natural resources by using climate-smart, sustainable agriculture methods.

As a result, interest in climate-smart agriculture with a minimum of soil tillage is gaining ground, and Zambia is at the forefront of Africa’s smallholders in this respect.

In adopting sustainable farming methods, smallholder farmers are less likely to resort to harmful practices that lead to deforestation caused by the production of charcoal, clearing of new land for agriculture and illegal logging.

COMACO’s programs also provide smallholder farmers with various market incentives, some of which are tied to the sale of our It’s Wild! food products – a popular food brand in Zambia.