Zambia advances coordinated action on food systems transformation through technical dialogue
Lusaka, Zambia | July 2026 – Zambia is advancing collective efforts to deliver its national food systems pathway. A two-day Food Systems Technical Dialogue in Lusaka brought together government institutions, United Nations agencies, development partners, civil society, academia and the private sector to validate national priorities, identify gaps and strengthen coordination across food systems, nutrition, climate and resilience. The conversation helped to consolidate a shared understanding among stakeholders on the next steps needed to accelerate the implementation of the national food systems pathway, starting with strengthening food systems governance and coordination mechanisms at all levels.
Led by the Office of the Vice President in coordination with the National Food and Nutrition Commission, the dialogue combined two complementary initiatives supported by the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub: the Accelerating Food Systems Transformation through a Scalable Success Model (SSM), supported by the European Union, and the Convergence Initiative, supported by the Government of the Netherlands.
Together, the initiatives helped participants examine Zambia's food systems through a shared evidence base, identify implementation priorities, and strengthen coordination across food systems, nutrition, climate and resilience. The conversation also focused good practices and lessons learned from food systems initiatives in the country to identify approaches that could be scaled up to deliver sustainable and resilient food systems outcomes.
Building on national priorities
Zambia has established a strong policy and institutional foundation for food systems transformation. Its national food systems pathway is aligned with the country's Vision 2030, the 8th National Development Plan (2022-2026) and the recently adopted National Food and Nutrition Security Policy. Coordination is led by the Office of the Vice President through a multi-sectoral governance structure that brings together ministries and partners working across food systems. “One of the greatest strengths of Zambia’s food systems transformation agenda has been the strong collaboration among government institutions, cooperating partners, civil society, academia, the private sector and farmer organisations” said Mr Yengwe Kakusa Director in the Office of the Vice President on behalf of Ms. Lillian Kapusana, Permanent Secretary for Administration, Office of the Vice President. “This collective commitment demonstrates that transforming food systems is a shared national responsibility requiring coordinated action.”
The Technical Dialogue was designed to build on these existing national structures by strengthening collaboration and supporting implementation of Zambia's national priorities.
Using evidence to identify priorities
The first part of the dialogue focused on validating a national food systems assessment developed through the SSM. The assessment examined implementation challenges, mapped existing initiatives and identified opportunities where additional technical support, partnerships and investment could accelerate progress. It also highlighted successful practices that could be expanded, including home-grown school feeding programmes, the Lusaka Food Council and lessons from the country's 2023-2024 drought response.
Participants identified several priorities for implementation, including strengthening coordination across ministries and levels of government, improving access to financing for farmers, and engaging a wider range of actors to raise awareness on food systems transformation, including communities, schools and the media. “We cannot overstate the importance of the evidence we are validating here today, which highlights that the challenges we face are complex and multi-faceted” said Dr. Mutanga Mapani, Executive Director, National Food and Nutrition Commission “Climate change, prolonged droughts, floods, and rising food prices threaten to undo our progress. However, these challenges also present an opportunity for innovation. Through these dialogues, we can identify and scale models that work.”
Connecting food systems and climate action
Building on this evidence, the second part of the dialogue focused on the Convergence Initiative, exploring how Zambia can strengthen coordination between food systems, climate and environmental priorities.
Participants examined how existing national policy frameworks, including the Green Growth Strategy, Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plan, already provide opportunities to align climate adaptation and food systems transformation. Discussions also highlighted Zambia's existing governance arrangements as a strong foundation for connecting institutions responsible for food systems, nutrition and climate action.
A key outcome of the dialogue was the development of a Convergence Action Blueprint, outlining shared priorities, coordinated ways of working and an institutional mechanism to support continued collaboration across sectors and partners. The blueprint will help guide coordinated implementation while building on Zambia's existing governance structures.
Evidence supporting coordinated action
By combining the Scalable Success Model and the Convergence Initiative in a single national dialogue, Zambia brought together evidence, policy and institutional coordination within one process. The validated assessment provides a shared understanding of implementation needs, while the Convergence Action Blueprint establishes a framework for coordinated action across sectors.
These outputs contribute to a shared vision on the main gaps and priorities to implement Zambia’s national food systems pathway, which include stronger collaboration, more coherent planning and better alignment between food systems, nutrition and climate priorities. Moving forward, building on the outcomes of the technical dialogue, Zambia will launch the implementation phase of the Scalable Success Model. Building on the outcomes of the technical dialogue, the Hub will work closely with the National Convenor and the national ecosystem of support, through FAO, to select and deliver a set of key actions to continue advancing on Zambia’s commitments for food systems transformation.
“The United Nations system remains a committed partner of the Government of Zambia in advancing the food systems transformation agenda […]” said Mr. Geoffrey Chomba, FAO Representative, speaking on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator. “Together, we continue to advance integrated solutions that strengthen food security and nutrition, build climate resilience, promote sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship, and support inclusive rural development.”
Launch of the World Food Forum Zambia Agrifood Systems
During the technical dialogue, the World Food Forum Zambia Agrifood Systems Youth Chapter was also officially launched. A youth-led platform affiliated with the global World Food Forum, the chapter has been established to ensure that young people are active contributors, innovators, advocates, and leaders in shaping food systems transformation. Having already mobilised a growing national network of more than 300 young people, the chapter is creating opportunities for learning, innovation, policy engagement, and leadership development. The Chapter was represented by Ms Mirirai Tembo, chapter lead and alumna of the Food Systems Youth Leadership Programme.
