Cooperatives

We helped establish 80 community-run cooperatives across Zambia’s Eastern Province, which provide vital farmer support services to thousands of members. Our cooperatives run community seed banks, issuing high-quality seeds to their farmers at the beginning of each planting season on loan, and collecting back new seeds at the end of the subsequent harvest. Cooperative staff are responsible for organizing farmer trainings, crop-purchasing events and payments. Each cooperative runs a community depot, which serves as a central hub for farmers and allows individuals to store their seeds, crops and equipment safely.

To maximize learning and facilitate knowledge sharing, our famers are organized into small producer groups of 15-20 members, each mentored by a peer-selected lead farmer. Lead farmers report to a network of senior and principal lead farmers, who are overseen by an executive committee of cooperative board members. The cooperative board makes strategic decisions about how to expand their impact and further invest in community development projects, such as livestock rearing. To be elected as a cooperative leader is considered a great honor. Half of all cooperative leadership positions are held by women.