The purpose of the advocacy dialogue breakfast meeting with key ministries was to explore strategic avenues through which government institutions can demonstrate stronger commitment to improving food safety within the fruits and vegetables value chain. This engagement served as a platform to raise awareness about the critical food safety challenges faced by consumers, particularly related to pesticide residues, poor post-harvest handling, and inadequate market hygiene. Key ministries were encouraged to prioritize coordinated policy responses, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and support the enforcement of food safety standards at both production and retail levels. The dialogue also emphasized the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration, capacity building for smallholder farmers and marketeers, and increased investment in monitoring systems. Through this meeting, stakeholders began identifying practical steps and policy interventions needed to ensure that fruits and vegetables reaching consumers are safe, nutritious, and handled in a hygienic manner throughout the value chain.
Opening Session
The meeting commenced promptly at 08:00 with registration and informal networking, allowing participants to connect and share insights ahead of formal proceedings. After a brief round of introductions, Ms. Angela Mulenga from CUTS reaffirmed CUTS’ steadfast commitment to advancing food safety through multi-stakeholder collaboration with key government ministries.
Zambia’s Fruit and Vegetables Sector: Safety, Challenges and Interventions for Growth by Mr. Alubi Tobias (University of Zambia)
Zambia’s fruit and vegetables (F&V) sector plays a critical role in supporting food security, improving nutrition, and sustaining rural livelihoods. However, as explained by Mr. Tobias Alubi, a Horticultural and Climate Change Expert from the University of Zambia, said that the sector faces serious food safety challenges, particularly due to the misuse of pesticides and poor post-harvest handling practices. Many smallholder farmers apply pesticides such as organophosphates and pyrethroids without proper training, and illegal or counterfeit pesticides frequently enter the market, increasing the risk of food contamination and potential health impacts.
Regulatory institutions such as the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) struggle with limited capacity to enforce
standards effectively. ZABS lacks sufficient infrastructure to monitor and certify produce, while ZEMA’s pesticide monitoring is weak and inconsistent. As a result, high pesticide residue levels are often detected in vegetables such as tomatoes and cabbages, especially in the Southern, Central, Lusaka, and Eastern Provinces. The absence of strict enforcement of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for local markets leads to serious health concerns and product rejections in both local and export markets.
Mr. Alubi also highlighted that post-harvest losses remain a major setback for the sector, with estimates ranging between 30% and 50% of all produce. These losses occur mainly due to poor handling during transportation, lack of cold storage facilities, and inadequate packaging, which contributes to bruising and spoilage. Farmers often operate within informal and fragmented supply chains, relying on middlemen who exploit prices and offer little market security. Additionally, the country has limited processing infrastructure for value addition, such as drying and juicing, which further restricts farmers’ income opportunities.
Smallholder farmers, in particular, face high costs when it comes to accessing refrigeration and modern packaging solutions. Most of the fresh produce is sold in informal markets where standardized storage practices and proper hygiene are lacking. Furthermore, consumer awareness of foodborne risks remains low, weakening the demand for safer, certified produce.
Despite these challenges, Mr. Alubi noted that some interventions are being implemented by both government and private sector actors. ZABS and ZEMA are working to improve food safety regulations, and export-focused producers are encouraged to adopt Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems. The Ministry of Agriculture is actively promoting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) by training farmers on safe pesticide use and encouraging a shift toward biopesticides and organic farming methods.
To reduce post-harvest losses, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) should promote improved storage technologies such as hermetic bags. Development partners, including USAID and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), should support cold chain development to help preserve produce quality and extend shelf life. Although these interventions are still limited in scale, they provide a pathway toward improving safety and competitiveness in the sector.
In conclusion, Mr. Alubi emphasized that Zambia’s fruit and vegetables sector holds great potential, but addressing food safety, pesticide management, and post-harvest challenges is essential. He recommended increased investment in regulatory enforcement, infrastructure development, farmer education, and awareness campaigns for consumers. Strengthening market linkages and promoting organized supply chains can further enhance the sector’s ability to contribute to national food security, economic development, and export growth.
Challenges in the Fruits and Vegetables Sector in Zambia: Presentation by Patson Ncube Loctaguna Organics
Zambia’s fruits and vegetables sector holds immense potential to contribute to national food security, economic growth, and poverty reduction. However, several persistent challenges continue to hinder its full development. One of the most pressing issues is the high level of post-harvest losses, with estimates suggesting that up to 40–50% of crops like tomatoes and mangoes are lost before reaching consumers. This is primarily due to inadequate storage facilities, especially the lack of cold chain infrastructure, poor handling practices, limited packaging options, and insufficient processing capabilities. Infrastructure gaps further exacerbate the problem. Poor road networks and the absence of refrigerated transport increase spoilage and raise the cost of moving perishable goods to markets. Additionally, many traditional markets lack proper sanitation, storage, and display facilities, which contributes to both post-harvest losses and food safety concerns. Although Zambia has abundant water resources, the sector remains heavily reliant on rain-fed agriculture, making it highly vulnerable to climate change and drought due to limited irrigation infrastructure.
Smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of the sector, face difficulties accessing reliable markets and affordable finance. Inadequate infrastructure, lack of market information, and dependence on middlemen often result in poor pricing for their produce. Furthermore, limited access to credit prevents farmers from investing in improved inputs, technologies, and farm equipment. The low adoption of modern farming methods also results in reduced productivity and poor crop quality, as many farmers continue to rely on traditional techniques without the use of improved seed varieties, appropriate fertilizers, or mechanization. Food safety and quality remain major concerns, with inadequate hygiene practices, misuse of pesticides, and weak regulatory enforcement posing risks to public health and limiting the sector’s export potential.
The regulatory environment is fragmented and lacks sufficient technical capacity for effective oversight. Moreover, the sector is primarily focused on fresh produce with minimal value addition or processing, which reduces the shelf life of products, limits earnings, and increases exposure to market fluctuations. Climate change further threatens the sector, as unpredictable rainfall patterns and droughts negatively affect yields, particularly for rain-dependent farms. Lastly, a lack of up-to-date and comprehensive data on the horticulture sector limits the ability of policymakers, farmers, and investors to make informed decisions.
Despite these challenges, Zambia’s horticultural sector presents a wide range of opportunities. The country has favorable agro-climatic conditions and vast tracts of fertile, underutilized land suitable for expanding the cultivation of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Rising domestic demand, driven by urbanization, population growth, and a growing health-conscious middle class, is increasing the consumption of fresh produce. Zambia’s strategic location and membership in regional trade blocs such as SADC and COMESA also open up significant export opportunities to neighboring countries.
Investments in value addition and agro-processing can help reduce post-harvest losses and boost incomes. There is strong potential for establishing processing facilities for fruit juices, tomato paste, dried products, canned vegetables, and frozen goods, which would extend shelf life and enhance marketability. Building a robust cold chain infrastructure, including cold storage units and refrigerated transport, would further improve product quality and reduce spoilage.
Technology adoption offers another critical avenue for growth. The use of irrigation systems can enable year-round production, while improved seed varieties, modern fertilizers, and farm machinery can significantly enhance productivity and resilience.
Precision agriculture technologies can also optimize input use and resource management. Diversification into high-value crops such as avocados, blueberries, and citrus fruits can meet rising global demand and increase export earnings. Strengthening linkages across the value chain through contract farming, farmer cooperatives, and closer partnerships between producers, processors, retailers, and exporters can enhance efficiency and sustainability. A stronger focus on food safety standards, including training, certification, and compliance systems, can unlock access to premium international markets, particularly in Europe and other developed economies.
In conclusion, while Zambia’s fruits and vegetables sector faces considerable challenges, its potential remains untapped. By addressing infrastructure deficits, improving market access, adopting modern technologies, and strengthening food safety systems, the country can transform this sector into a key driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Policy Considerations on Food Safety Governance in Zambia by Dr. Simon Mwale
Key legislative instruments on food safety:
- Food Safety Act No. 7 of 2019
- Public Health Act
- Plant Pests and Diseases Act
- Food and Nutrition Act No. 3 of 2020.
Zambia continues to experience significant foodborne disease outbreaks: e.g. Cholera (2023-2024: over 20,000 cases and 690 deaths)
Impacts:
- Productivity of labour
- Government expenditure
- Family and household livelihoods
Key Challenges in Food Safety Governance
- Fragmented regulatory structures
- Limited enforcement capacity
- Inadequate coordination
- Insufficient investment in food safety infrastructure
- Low public awareness
- Informal markets – difficult to monitor and poor hygiene
Policy Considerations
Establish A Central Food Regulatory Authority
1. Create a unified institution to:
- Harmonize food safety policies and enforcement
- Coordinate sectoral institutions
- Serve as a focal point for international collaboration
This will reduce duplication, improve emergency response, and build trust in the system.
2. Strengthen the legal framework; Regularly assess and revise food safety laws to address gaps and ensure alignment with international standards.
3. Resource the regulatory authority to enhance:
- Laboratory and testing technologies
- Training of food safety personnel
- Inspection and surveillance capacity
- Public education and awareness campaigns
Where It Has Worked
- Ireland: Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI)-1999
- New Zealand: Ministry of Primary Industries is the contralised food safety regulatory body.
- Germany: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) – established in 2002
Issues to be addressed:
- Better coordination,
- no overlapping functions
- enhanced operational efficiency
- consistent application of food safety measures across all sectors
- One national entry point for food safety
Response from Key Government Ministries
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has been actively promoting mechanised farming, expanding the use of irrigation systems, investing in cold storage infrastructure to minimise wastage of perishable products such as fruits and vegetables, and encouraging the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to increase agricultural productivity and boost overall yields in metric tonnes. Through various policy frameworks and support programmes, the government aims to modernise the agriculture sector, reduce reliance on rain-fed farming, and strengthen national food security. These interventions are particularly vital in light of climate change and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, which continue to threaten traditional farming methods. By advancing sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, Zambia is working to ensure consistent crop production, improved farmer livelihoods, and a stronger contribution to national economic growth.
Way forward
To improve Zambia’s fruits and vegetables sector, the way forward involves investing in cold chain infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses, training farmers in Good Agricultural Practices, improving access to finance and quality inputs, and strengthening market linkages and value addition. Enforcing food safety standards, promoting agricultural research and innovation, and enhancing coordination among stakeholders