Linkages between Smallholder Farmers and Supermarkets in Zambia

Linkages between Smallholder Farmers and Supermarkets in Zambia: What role for Good Agricultural Practices? By Dr. Hyde Haantuba FAO, October 2003

Zambia has also witnessed a significant increase in the number and role of supermarkets in retail trade(especially Shoprite Checkers). These supermarkets have added a new dimension to the way foods and foodstuffs are sold in the country. The effect of their presence, especially on their specific impact on stimulating agricultural trade and retailing among rural producers, has lately received more attention by policy makers and researchers. Market access and integration may offer opportunities for increasing food security and reducing poverty among small-scale rural farm households.

This paper analyzes the state of supermarket penetration in rural markets and their associated linkages with smallholder farm producers in Zambia. More specifically, it intends to increase the understanding of the impact of supermarket expansion on rural communities and the role that Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) could play in providing access by small-scale rural farmers to the changing food system. In order to adequately address these linkages, the paper explores the procurement requirements and practices of these supermarket chains to determine the nature of opportunities or constraints they pose to smallholder farm producers in rural areas.

 Full paper at http://www.fao.org/prods/GAP/archive/supergapZambia_en.htm