COMACO’s (Community Markets for Conservation) Landscape Management Project (CLMP) promotes sustainable agriculture and forest conservation in communities throughout Zambia. The main objectives of the project are to sustainably increase smallholder farmer crop yields, income and welfare, and to reduce uncontrolled forest loss and degradation while increasing net forest cover. COMACO focuses on a Sustainable Agricultural Land Management (SALM) component aiming to promote widespread adoption of agricultural practices that increase food production per unit area and farmers’ income. Sustainable practices include adoption by farmers of legume-based alley cropping, residues management, and reduced tillage. COMACO also aims to reduce forest loss and to protect and expand areas under natural forest while conserving biodiversity. COMACO accomplishes this through Community Conservation Areas (CCA) which are established through Community Conservation Management Plans.

I supported other COMACO staff in the editing, finalizing, and design of these Management Plans which were signed by traditional leaders, including headmen and chiefs, government officials and farmers in Community Conservation Areas.

The project stretches across nine chiefdoms in five districts in the Eastern Province of Zambia.

• Chikomeni (Lundazi district)
• Chikuwe (Mambwe and Chipata districts)
• Jumbe (Mambwe, Chipata and Lundazi districts)
• Luembe (Petauke district)
• Magodi (Chama and Lundazi districts)
• Mwasemphangwe (Lundazi district)
• Mwape (Petauke and Nyimba districts)
• Nyamphande (Nyimba and Petauke districts)
• Zumwanda (Lundazi district)