A Conservation Farming programme in Chisamba District, Central Province was officially opened by the Provincial Permanent Secretary Bernard Chomba in early May. In this joint venture, First Quantum Minerals shared conservation farming expertise with Chipembi College of Agriculture, the United Church of Zambia (UCZ)’s agriculture training institution for un-employed youth, retirees and more.

Compared to conventional farming, the Conservation Farming system uses simple, sustainable methods to produce higher yields so that subsistence farmers can sell surplus for profit, a step towards and alleviating poverty and malnutrition. The week-long programme also trained participants from several provinces in Village Banking management and how to make environmentally-friendly charcoal as an energy source.