comaco: community markets for conservation

7/27/2019 COMACO: Community Markets for Conservation

1/4

MAKINGFARMERS

OUT OFPOACHERS

When poverty threatens natureZambia is home to more than 13 millionpeople, two-thirds of whom live in rural areasand earn less than US$1 per day. Poverty isparticularly widespread in the countrysLuangwa Valley, where residents resort tomonocropping, wild-game poaching orcharcoal manufacturing to obtain additionalfood and money. Such practices contribute to

food insecurity, degrade the countrys naturalresource base and reduce options for incomediversification.

To respond to the problem of poverty andassociated environmental devastation, theWildlife Conservation Society of Zambia(WCS) launched the Community Markets forConservation (COMACO) program in 2003.

Successful farmers dont need to poachCOMACO targets poor residents who apractices such as poaching to survive. Progparticipants become members of prodgroups and are taught about sustainagricultural practices and new techniquesimproving crop yields. Those who employ spractices are given conservation dividends sas new equipment and tools at the end of

farming season as rewards for jobs well don

After harvest, farmers deliver their warelocal COMACO depots (of which there arelocated across Eastern Zambia, particunear national forests and parks, whenvironmental degradation tends to be highfor payment. Farmers who sell to COMAreceive a price premium of as much as fivecent above regular market prices.

MAKINGFARMERS

OUT OFPOACHERS

COMACO

ZAMBIA

Poverty in Zambia has a direct and serious impact on the natural world. Low incomes and food insecurity foarmers to turn to environmentally destructive practices for survival. A CARE-supported project is delivenancial and social benefits to poor farmers while helping to protect Zambias sensitive ecosystems.

C

o

n

text

M

o

d

el


2/4

CAREChampionsthe Chama

CommunityTrading Centre

Beginning in 2008 anddrawing on funding from

the CanadianInternationalDevelopment Agency,

CARE partnered with theWCS to support

COMACO.

CARE provided financialand technical assistanceto one of COMACOs six

community tradingcentres (CTCs), located

in the Chama district.

Each COMACO trading depot performs twounctions. It serves as a warehouse for collectedoodstuffs and input products, and hosts aeaching centre at which famers learn newechniques and income-earning skills as

alternatives to destructive environmental

practices.

When a trading depots stores are full, its goodsare shipped to a CTC for processing andpackaging. Although each CTC sells some goodsdirectly to consumers, most are distributed to thepublic via retail and wholesale channels. Goodssold under the COMACO Its Wild! brand includeroasted peanuts, peanut butter, honey, beans,soy-based products, and chama rice.

Success: by the numbersSince its inception, COMACO has provedremarkably successful. Its more than 3,000producer groups count more than 40,000member farmers. Its 36 trading depots serve sixcommunity trading centres. The CARE-supportedCTC in particular works with nearly 7,200armers across 530 producer groups. Given thathe average family in this part of Zambia includessix members, CAREs work affects as many as43,000 people.

The average annual income of a COMACOparticipant increased by 74 per cent in the firstour years of the program. Many producers arenow engaging in further income-generatingactivities, while non-producers who live nearCTCs have found work in processing andpackaging operations.

COMACO has also delivered social benefits forwomen. Of the 7,166 farmers registered at the

C A R E - s u p p o r t e dCTC, 60 per cent areemale. Women are

empowered, and havebet ter access tor e s o u r c e s a n dmproved skills. Theyh a v e b e c o m esignificant contributorso their householdncomes.


3/4

Conservation is good businessThe benefits of COMACO are not limited to the wellbeing of Zimbabwehuman population. Before COMACO became operational, an estimat4,000 wild animals died annually in snares in Luangwa Valley. Annu

wildlife census surveys from before COMACOs inception to 2009 show30-per cent increase in population among monitored species.

Thanks to COMACOs activities, former poachers have surrendered 1,8illegal firearms and more than 50,000 snares. A demonstrable reductionpoaching activities has led to significant cost savings for government. WCestimates that the cost of training a poacher to practice sustainabfarming is less than US$300. Conversely, the per-poacher cost of laenforcement is US$2,500. By encouraging more than 300 poachers to giup illegal hunting, COMACO has saved the government more than U$700,000 in law enforcement costs.

Seeding grounds for further developmentIn addition to teaching new strategies for foodproduction, COMACO maintains its own self-sustainingprogram. At the beginning of every season, farmersborrow seeds for planting. At the end, they are requiredto return 50 per cent more seeds than they borrowed.This initiative helps COMACO sustain its operationsand continue to expand and assist even more farmers.

Lessons learned

To ensure success, administratorsof future programs must observetwo lessons.

Although COMACO has protectedthe environment and augmentedsocial wellbeing for many, theprograms economic benefit cannotbe overstated. Residents are faress likely to participate in similarprograms without the promise of

better incomes.

Although 60 per cent of the farmersparticipating in the CARE-supportedCTC were women, COMACO hasstruggled to provide opportunitiesfor women that will bring aboutmore fundamental change. Moredeliberate efforts must invest ineadership training and elevatewomen into decision-making roles.


4/4

About the programCARE Canadas Enterprise and Economic Development (EED) approach designed to expand economic opportunities for vulnerable people through locsmall businesses and informal, village-based micro-enterprises. For the past teyears, CAREs EED work has focused on improving access to markets and valu

chains, supporting social enterprises that operate in the missing middle, andeveloping and strengthening microfinance institutions, community-basefinancial services and income generating activities.

Such efforts not only help improve the livelihood, security and resilience of pomen and women the world over, but also promote gender equality and yiebetter health, education, housing and social-relations outcomes for all.

This project was supported by thCanadian International Development Agenc

comaco: community markets for conservation

Documents