Carolyn Hall with Zambian farmer Teifla on her drought-stricken land.

Part 5 in A blog series by CEO Carolyn Hall on her visit to Zambia in July, 2024.

Our visit to Kazungula included a very sobering tour of Teifla’s farm and learning about her journey through the drought.

Production

Teifla historically has enjoyed successful harvests from her 7-hectare plot. Rotating maize, soybeans, groundnuts and sorghum. This has involved the application of costly synthetic herbicides and fertilisers to maintain production. The result has been the development of a hard crust on the cleared, tilled soil, no soil structure and little water-holding capacity.

Climate extremes

Teifla recounted her recent experience. Initially, heavy rains led to flooding, which has been followed by an extended period of drought. This erratic weather pattern has made farming increasingly challenging, and despite spending the last of her money on more fertilizer the rains did not come, and her crops have failed. This has left her with nothing, dependent on minimal assistance from the government.

Looking forward

Despite the challenges Teifla has faced she remains determined to rebuild. She will replant her crops and hopes to restore her farm’s productivity. Her resilience and perseverance are remarkable.

Soil health and water management for climate resilience

Landscape rehydration infrastructure that allows Teifla to benefit from the rain when it does come and holds more of it in the soil carbon sponge will provide resilience to future droughts. Education and capacity building around soil health and how cover crops and subsequent microbiology in the soil can improve soil condition and structure and enhance water holding capacity will provide alternatives to the current cycle of costly synthetic inputs.

Demonstration and knowledge sharing

Regenerative farming methods are largely unknown to Teifla. The devastating drought has left her with nothing. A demonstration site showcasing landscape rehydration infrastructure and regenerative farming techniques can inspire Teifla to try different approaches that can contribute to drought resilience.