Financial inclusion is essential to empower smallholder farmers in Zambia, particularly women, enabling them to adopt climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and build resilience against climate variability. However, access to financial services, such as credit, savings and insurance is limited, impeding farmers’ ability to invest in CSA practices that require significant upfront costs and risk management. This paper explores the challenges and opportunities in promoting financial inclusion for smallholder farmers in Zambia, emphasising the importance of tailored financial tools to address the unique needs of rural communities, especially the most vulnerable groups.
Written by Arthur Moonga, Andrew Shepherd and Lucia da Corta