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Zambia has huge agricultural potential. It holds about 40% of the region’s underground and surface water resources, and more than half of its total land area is classified as medium to high potential for agricultural production.

Yet in spite of these rich natural resources, 48% of its people are undernourished. Forty per cent of Zambian children under the age of five are too short for their age, often with reduced cognitive capacities, while 23% of Zambian women are overweight or obese.

This is the result of poor diets – high in starch and calories, but low in nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. More specifically, the problem can be directly traced to a predominance of maize in the Zambian diet.