Zambia Promotes Farm Blocks and Land Reform to Boost Food Security and Rural Wealth
Zambia has reaffirmed its commitment to agrarian reform, food sovereignty and land empowerment at the Second International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD+20), currently underway in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
Zambia’s Ambassador to Brazil, Lt. Gen. Dennis Sitali Alibuzwi, is representing Hakainde Hichilema at the high-level summit, which brings together global leaders, policymakers and civil society to address land tenure, rural development and food security challenges.
Speaking on the sidelines of ICARRD+20, Ambassador Alibuzwi said a key focus of Zambia’s engagement is the promotion of the Farm Block Development Programme.
He noted that under the New Dawn Administration, Government has prioritised the operationalisation of farm blocks as a pathway to transform Zambia from subsistence farming to large-scale, commercialised agro-industrial production.
The Ambassador explained that Zambia is leveraging its vast arable land across all ten provinces to position itself as a regional hub for agro-processing.
The farm block model, he said, provides serviced land supported by integrated infrastructure, helping to attract investment while strengthening national and regional food security amid global supply chain disruptions.
Zambia is also using the ICARRD+20 platform to share progress made in land empowerment reforms. Ambassador Alibuzwi reaffirmed Government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to land, particularly for women and young people.
“Land is the primary tool for wealth creation,” he said. “The President’s vision is clear: by securing land tenure and systematically issuing title deeds, our people can use land as collateral to access credit and fully participate in the national and regional economy.”
For Zambia, participation at ICARRD+20 goes beyond diplomatic engagement. The country is aligning its national policies with the Cartagena Declaration, with lessons on water governance and soil restoration expected to inform the sustainable management of farm blocks for future generations.
“By participating in this ICARRD+20 milestone, Zambia reaffirms its leadership in African agrarian reform and invites global partners to join our journey towards becoming the breadbasket of SADC and beyond,” Ambassador Alibuzwi said.
The summit, running from 24 to 28 February 2026, marks 20 years since the 2006 Porto Alegre Declaration and provides a global platform for countries to advance inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable rural development strategies.
