Food Security Pack
Basic Information
Country
Geographic area
Programme type
Programme Details
Programme objectives
To improve productivity and food security of smallholder farmers, leading to a reduction in poverty.
Mason, N.M. et al. 2013. “Zambia’s input subsidy programs.” Agricultural Economics 44 (2013):
613–628. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/agec.12077/abstract>.
Start date
2000
Weitz, N. et al. 2015. From global vision to country action: post-2015 development strategies and
food security in Zambia. Stockholm: SEI. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.sei-international.org/
mediamanager/documents/Publications/NEW/SEI-PR-2015-04-Zambia-1412r.pdf>.
Coverage
30,100 households (2015)
Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare. 2015. 2nd and 3rd Quarter Low
Capacities Households Report to the Sector Advisory Committee. Lusaka: MCDSW.
Programme expenditure
ZMK49,829 or USD5 million (2015)
Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare. 2015. 2nd and 3rd Quarter Low
Capacities Households Report to the Sector Advisory Committee. Lusaka: MCDSW.
Targeting and eligiblity
Targeting methods
Categorical Targeting
Community-Based Targeting
Beneficiaries are selected by the Community Welfare Assistance Committees and Area Food Security Committees. Reference:
Weitz, N. et al. 2015. From global vision to country action: post-2015 development strategies and
food security in Zambia. Stockholm: SEI. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.sei-international.org/
mediamanager/documents/Publications/NEW/SEI-PR-2015-04-Zambia-1412r.pdf>.
Targeted areas
Rural areas
Target groups
Poor smallholder farmers
Weitz, N. et al. 2015. From global vision to country action: post-2015 development strategies and
food security in Zambia. Stockholm: SEI. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.sei-international.org/
mediamanager/documents/Publications/NEW/SEI-PR-2015-04-Zambia-1412r.pdf>.
Eligibility criteria
Beneficiary households are headed by a woman, elderly person or child,
have no other sources of income and have less than one hectare of land.
Weitz, N. et al. 2015. From global vision to country action: post-2015 development strategies and
food security in Zambia. Stockholm: SEI. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.sei-international.org/
mediamanager/documents/Publications/NEW/SEI-PR-2015-04-Zambia-1412r.pdf>.
Coverage and other information
Type of benefits
In-kind benefits: maize, beans, soy, groundnut and cassava seeds;
fertiliser; seed and fertilisers for rice, sorghum or millet; and, where soils
are acidic, lime.
Weitz, N. et al. 2015. From global vision to country action: post-2015 development strategies and
food security in Zambia. Stockholm: SEI. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.sei-international.org/
mediamanager/documents/Publications/NEW/SEI-PR-2015-04-Zambia-1412r.pdf>
Amount of benefits
The programme provides small packages of seed and fertiliser, which are
enough for 0.5 hectares of maize or rice and 0.25 hectares of legumes.
After the harvest, beneficiaries are expected to repay 10–20 per cent of
the costs of the packs (though in practice only five per cent of the cost is
returned). In some cases, beneficiaries also receive chickens and goats.
Tesliuc, C. et al. 2013. “Zambia: Using Social Safety Nets to Accelerate Poverty Reduction and
Share Prosperity.” Social Protection & Labor Discussion Paper, No., 1413 - Africa Social Safety Net
and Social Protection Assessment Series. Washington, DC: World Bank. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/07/28/000333037
_20140728135344/Rendered/PDF/897080NWP0P126085290B00PUBLIC001413.pdf>.
Benefit delivery mechanism
Benefits are distributed in the form of packs via the Area Food Security Committees.
Weitz, N. et al. 2015. From global vision to country action: post-2015 development strategies and
food security in Zambia. Stockholm: SEI. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.sei-international.org/
mediamanager/documents/Publications/NEW/SEI-PR-2015-04-Zambia-1412r.pdf>.
Tesliuc, C. et al. 2013. “Zambia: Using Social Safety Nets to Accelerate Poverty Reduction and
Share Prosperity.” Social Protection & Labor Discussion Paper, No., 1413 - Africa Social Safety Net
and Social Protection Assessment Series. Washington, DC: World Bank. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/07/28/000333037
_20140728135344/Rendered/PDF/897080NWP0P126085290B00PUBLIC001413.pdf>.
Benefit recipients
Smallholder farmers
Tesliuc, C. et al. 2013. “Zambia: Using Social Safety Nets to Accelerate Poverty Reduction and
Share Prosperity.” Social Protection & Labor Discussion Paper, No., 1413 - Africa Social Safety Net
and Social Protection Assessment Series. Washington, DC: World Bank. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/07/28/000333037
_20140728135344/Rendered/PDF/897080NWP0P126085290B00PUBLIC001413.pdf>.
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and frequency
Monitoring activities have been carried out to verify the
delivery of packs and the programme’s accountability,
but there has been no impact evaluation.
Tesliuc, C. et al. 2013. “Zambia: Using Social Safety Nets to Accelerate Poverty Reduction and
Share Prosperity.” Social Protection & Labor Discussion Paper, No., 1413 - Africa Social Safety Net
and Social Protection Assessment Series. Washington, DC: World Bank. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/07/28/000333037
_20140728135344/Rendered/PDF/897080NWP0P126085290B00PUBLIC001413.pdf>.
