Make a Difference
Impacts
| PROGRESS TOWARDS LONG TERM GOALS! |  |
In 2002, preceding the COMACO development of the first three CTC’s, was an extensive effort to recruit at-risk farmers. With free maize incentives from WFP, farmers were invited to learn and adopt better farming practices. COMACO started full scale operation in 2004. Recently COMACO has begun to assessing progress in achieving its long-term objectives, namely, reduced rural poverty, increased food security, increased natural resource protection, and economic sustainability of the COMACO business model.
The COMACO program continues to expand and build on best practices and insights to further its contributions to the well-being of people who live in the Luangwa Valley and to an improved management of this important ecosystem. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which leads the COMACO program and works closely with the Zambian Government, recognizes the importance of maintaining a close monitoring and evaluation of Mfuwe, Lundazi/Chama, and Nyimba/Feira CTCs to fully test the inter-relationships between poverty, hunger and conservation and the capacity of a business model to help shape these relationships to favor both humans and environment. Cornell University and University of Berkeley have both provided assistance in the M&E effort.
Measurable improvements are being seen in Luangwa Valley! Measurements of food security are improving, poverty reduction can be demonstrated, animals and ecosystems are recovering from years of neglect and the COMACO model is proving it's sustainability. As COMACO goes forward, we'll be assessing the real impacts of this model on the lives and well-being of the COMACO member families in such areas as the ability of children to complete school, living conditions of families, health status and ability to weather the many challenges that life in Africa can bring. We hope you'll keep coming back and watching our progress! Meanwhile, have a look at what we've accomplished!
| Food Security | |||
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