Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ)

• Full Case Study Report (135kb)
  
• Debriefing Documents
  
• Zambia seminar proceedings (208kb)

Founded in 1999, by some local NGOs and farmers interested in producing organic agricultural products for the growing international market, OPPAZ is a membership organization which provides production, marketing and technical advice, and fosters linkages between growers and traders to provide an accessible export route for both smallholder and commercial farmers.

OPPAZ’s objectives are to:

• support development of income generation and diversification by enabling viable markets to develop for certified and non-certified organic produce in-country and externally, and expand the already established export market for certified products.
• encourage small-scale, rural production and processing of agricultural products for socio-economic benefits these activities provide, and
• promote and develop sustainable methods of agricultural production.

OPPAZ provides the following services:

• Technical advice and training on:
  • organic methods of production for diversified/specialised crops,
  • production quality/hygiene for products for the market place (local, regional and international),
  • appropriate crops for production in the two-year transitional period,
  • methods/facilities for harvesting (timing is critical in maximising quality/yield) drying, handling and storage,
  • specifications for capital items such as storage facility,
  • co-ordination of crop production in relation to OPPAZ identified market;
• Technical leaflets, information sheets and market information;
• Recruitment and training services for extension workers and small-scale farmers;
• Research and trials on new crops and technologies;
• Links between small and large scale famers through out-grower and processor schemes;
• Development of regional organic growers groups and partnerships with NGOs and other organisations.
• Negotiations with international buyers (eg Traidcraft) on behalf of organic producers.

Member farmers and growers practice organic farming principles, where sustainability is the primary objective, and improvements in production and soil fertility are clearly gained. OPPAZ activities build upon traditional farming systems where utilisation of the full crop diversity and application of a range of organic methods are offered through practical training and extension services. OPPAZ members and target beneficiaries range from communal farmers and smallholders to landholders and larger estate sector.

OPPAZ has, so far, obtained organic certification (from Soil Association and Ecocert) for around 1,500 sq.km of land. Seventy two individual producers (with c.16,800 ha) and 18 small-scale growers groups/cooperatives (with c. 3,500 members) are certified as organic producers (December 2002).

OPPAZ impact on agrobiodiversity is in its promotion of targeted field commodity crops (e.g. groundnut, sesame, sunflower, millets, amaranth and Moringa); high-value or value-added species including a range of herbs, spices and essential oils such as ginger, tumeric, chillies, paprika, dried fruit (of papaya, mango, pineapple), fennel, cumin, coriander, anise culinary seed and lemon grass. OPPAZ also promotes harvesting and marketing of valuable wild plant products of Marula, Manketti, Baobab, Kigelia Africana (sausage tree fruit), speciality mashrooms, Gereenium, citronella, lemon grass, Lemon verbena and Chamomile.

A number of critical factors seem to have contributed to this success:

• Liberalised market policies following SAP (late 1980s);
• Availability of a diverse range of indigenous crops and wild plant products;
• Availability of markets in Europe and elsewhere;
• Commitment and monitoring of technical and extension staff;
• Constant technical services and support from OPPAZ members and partners;
• Skills in developing international partnerships (e.g. with Canon-Garth and Tradecraft);
• Establishment of national partnerships with a wide range of producers’ and traders’ organisations;
• Participation in regional and international organic trade fair events (e.g. Biofach).

There is a growing demand from international organic buyers for organic pulses, seed products and seed oils, honey, coffee, herb and spice production and craft items, but OPPAZ faces many constraints. Zambia is one of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) with many socio-economic, scientific and technological constraints, agricultural units are predominantly small-scale spread widely over remote landscapes. Organising extension services for certification and collection of organic products is difficult; lengthy paperwork and limited transport hinders the export process; and European Union (EU) regulations for organically-certified products in the European market are complex.

OPPAZ hopes to meet these challenges through:

• Developing in-country capacity for technical advise, organic certification and supervision.
• Providing information to industry to encourage investment through practical research on organic production of products suited to small and larger-scale producers.
• Training, equipping and mobilizing a dedicated extension service that can provide detailed and accurate information and training services for organic producers.
• Supporting mutually beneficial relationships between organic producers and associations within Zambia to gain economies of scale, and meet statutory standards.
• Establishing an internet-based marketing facility where exporters can advertise their organic products to buyers world-wide.
  

Arthur Nkonde