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CIFOR–ICRAF publishes over 750 publications every year on agroforestry, forests and climate change, landscape restoration, rights, forest policy and much more – in multiple languages.

CIFOR–ICRAF addresses local challenges and opportunities while providing solutions to global problems for forests, landscapes, people and the planet.

We deliver actionable evidence and solutions to transform how land is used and how food is produced: conserving and restoring ecosystems, responding to the global climate, malnutrition, biodiversity and desertification crises. In short, improving people’s lives.

Assessing the Potential for Private Sector Engagement in Integrated Landscape Approaches: Insights from Value-Chain Analyses in Southern Zambia

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Agricultural and forested landscapes in Africa are changing rapidly in response to socio-economic and environmental pressures. Integrated landscape approaches provide an opportunity for a more holistic and coordinated resource management strategy through the engagement of multiple stakeholders. Despite their influence as landscape actors, participation of private businesses in such initiatives has thus far been limited. This study focuses on the Kalomo District in southern Zambia, which provides an example of a rural landscape characterized by high levels of poverty, low agricultural productivity, and widespread deforestation and forest degradation. The study applied a value-chain analysis approach to better understand how the production of four locally important commodities (maize, tobacco, cattle, and charcoal) impacts land use, local livelihoods, and environmental objectives in this landscape, focusing on the role and influence of private sector actors. Data were collected through focus group discussions and key informant semi-structured interviews. Qualitative content analysis was employed to analyze the data and contextualize the findings. Results indicate three key potential entry points for increased private sector engagement: (1) improving water security for smallholders; (2) empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as private sector actors; and (3) collective planning for sustainable landscape activities with deliberate measures to involve private sector actors. We discuss options for optimizing benefits from the identified entry points.
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091549
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