by Sapna Shah, Research Project Manager, The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College

"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand."

This Chinese proverb is the rationale behind the "Seeing is Believing" program, which arranges trips to the world’s most economically challenged regions and provides participants with a firsthand look at the realities and potential of communities they might not otherwise visit.

Last November, The Center participated in its second Seeing is Believing trip, in partnership with The ImagineNations Group. On an eight-day journey of discovery and learning, three Center staff and 19 other participants explored the political, economic, and social challenges in Zambia. The program included a reception at the home of U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Andrew Passen, where guests were joined by embassy staff, representatives from Zambia’s private sector and NGO communities. Guests also enjoyed a visit with Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa.

Participants delved deep into issues ranging from the intricacies of agricultural economics, to HIV/AIDS, to counseling and training for former commercial sex workers. Through these eye-opening experiences, participants were not only exposed to the problems facing Zambia today, but also to the solutions. Opportunities to visit community schools, explore local villages, and participate in Zambian church services brought the trip to life.

One solution highlighted on the trip was an agricultural initiative designed to bring economic empowerment to farmers in Zambia’s rural northeastern province. COMACO (Community Markets for Conservation) provides seeds, training, and market access to rural farmers planting crops which are harmonious with wildlife conservation practices. The markets reach far beyond the farmer’s local sphere and include urban Lusaka, the nation’s capital. COMACO verifies compliance with resource management standards, using explicit measures. The price of goods is set by the market, but cooperating farmers are ensured a value-add over that price. Through COMACO’s work, rural Zambia is pushed one step closer to economic and environmental viability.

We spoke with Dale Lewis, Wildlife Conservation Society Country Director, to learn more about this entrepreneurial effort.

Q: What prompted the formation of COMACO?
A: Many conservation efforts to date had been disjointed and sector-driven, and were isolated to conservation objectives. Meanwhile, many of the current initiatives were not sustainable. We wanted an interdisciplinary, integrated approach to both problems — linking conservation and markets.

Q: How does COMACO work?
A: We’ve organized tens of thousands of farmers into producer groups, which produce commodities that are harmonious with smart land management. We associate these groups with local depots which link to regional trading posts. COMACO staff link the rural commodities to markets. At the same time, we try to train the producer groups to understand why better farming practices lead to better crops and sustainability.

Q: How do you help farmers decide which crops to grow?
A: We look at crops which are appropriate in terms of meeting food requirements — you can’t expect a good livelihood if you don’t have food to feed your family. Most farmers grow their own food, and we find they come up short in the instances where they try to sell their crops and buy food with the money. We’re looking at maize and sorghum, ground nuts, soybean and rice.

Q: So do you tell them which crops to grow?
A: No, that’s their choice. The markets ensure pricing and crop variety — we saw an increase in rice prices, and more farmers are choosing to grow rice. The farmer, however, can only be part of COMACO if the crops meet sustainable land usage criteria. For example, we don’t support traditional cotton or tobacco — they are dependent on pesticides and are hard on the soil, which eventually leads to food shortages. However, we don’t have problems with cotton grown in a land-healthy way.

Q: You emphasize a multi-sector approach. What types of relationships do you have with the private sector?
A: Speaking of cotton, we recently sat down with one of the major cotton companies — with cotton prices down, we are at the beginnings of a relationship. As I said, we would like to see cotton grown in a sustainable way, and we worked with the company to use organic cotton. Typically, cotton is grown on vast plots, with very low yield, and we use a model of smaller plots so farmers can rotate in other crops, and then return to plant cotton on the healthy land without having to clear more. The cotton company agreed, and actually, some of COMACO’s practices are actually better for cotton yield. We now have 750 farmers collaborating in this cotton partnership.

Q: How do you know the land is being used appropriately?
A: We verify compliance with very specific and explicit resource management guidelines, and we expect compliance. Market structures set pricing, but compliant farmers are ensured a percentage value added to the price of their goods in addition to the COMACO support.

Q: You mentioned training. Tell us more.
A: Training is a key component of our success, but how do we do it on a large scale with low cost? We have scheduled “field days," where communities organize themselves, bring in local or regional experts, pick themes relating to farming or income activities — an information swap meet. These events stimulate conversation, they cut across ages, and they catalyze production.

Q: Sounds like it’s all wins.
A: Well, we’re working on certain assumptions. We’ve done a fair amount of research, but this is the first year we will operate on full-scale to get to a profit. We assume favorable weather and a large enough scale for us to cover our transport and processing costs. And the financing — we depend on having enough cash on hand at the time of sale so that the farmer sells the goods for a fair, higher price, rather than settling for the immediate payout of a lesser fee. In a sense, we’re competing with large companies who would rather see these farmers grow tobacco — and they are large enough to change policy, and leverage the government. But we can offer the farmers a better income, healthy land, and food for their family, which lead to the social benefits of reducing exposure to dangerous pesticides, and less travel away from the home in search of markets.

Q: Can you describe some of your successes linking rural commodities to market?
A: Take Spara SuperStar, a large supermarket chain. The Zambian owner of this South African company has a commitment to Zambia. He got right behind our ‘It’s Wild’ brand products. And another company, the Kilamanjaro Café, helps us launch our projects and sell our full range of products. Now, we can see our products in mainstream supermarkets in urban Lusaka.

Q: How does tourism fit into the picture?
A: Once the farmers demonstrate that they are fair, we begin to diversify. We have a number of small tourism camps, which are 65% owned by the community, and 35% by the trading company. We had three open last year. Visitors come for the chance to experience community-based tourism. We have people who used to be poachers working in these camps. These camps are scaled in such a way to preserve an unspoiled environment. Clients pay for peaceful serenity, though not the infrastructure of a large lodge. We just had a couple book a visit for their honeymoon!

Q: Do you help the farmers figure out what to do with the money they’re earning?
A: Yes, we look for ways to help them invest their money. For example, in one area we put up solar powered electric fences to prevent wildlife from destroying crops. There was some cynicism at first, but now that the wildlife camp is successful, and there are more and more wildlife there, communities are wondering what to do with the revenues. Two communities have come together to buy electric fencing, and the trading company will provide transport to bring in the fences. We’re considering making matching grants. We encourage farmers to ask, how can you spend money in a way that makes more money, and how do you spend it in a way that preserves the land? It gives the communities the power to have ideas, and then it all snowballs.

» For more information about COMACO’s work, visit http://www.itswild.org/
» For information about The Center’s Seeing is Believing program, click here, or contact sapna.shah@bc.edu.