Zambians Trade Guns for Honey on Road to Sustainability

Farmers and hunters handing in their guns. ?WCS/Dale Lewis

In the heart of eastern Zambia, where herds of elephant and antelope share their turf with communities of farmers and hunters, local residents have initiated a revolutionary change in lifestyle. During an event that took place at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Lusaka, they collectively handed over hundreds of guns in exchange for improved opportunities in food security and markets. To continue their fight against the grinding poverty, illegal hunting, and environmental degradation that once ruled this region, the communities have discovered a new kind of ammunition: conservation and sustainability.

The ceremony, ?Guns and Snares For Better Alternatives,? held on February 27, represented a transition from an economy driven by wildlife poaching to one derived from ecologically sound agriculture practices and animal husbandry techniques. Upon forsaking more than 750 illegal firearms, the communities of the Lundazi and Chama Districts joined COMACO (Community Markets for Conservation), a program officially initiated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in 2001.

Women proccesing honey ?WCS/Dale Lewis

An increasingly successful model for natural resource management and development, COMACO was created to address the needs of poor and hungry families. Farmers that adopt environmentally friendly practices, such as conservation farming, composting, and crop rotation, are rewarded with higher prices for their products. By complying with COMACO guidelines, farmers also contribute to the improvement of soil quality and reduce the need for illegal hunting and opening new farmland. With increased income, some families and communities are then able to diversify their food production through beekeeping, fishing, and other means. Other stakeholders in the COMACO partnership include the region?s
local governments, the Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, and Natural Resources (MTENR), and the World Food Program.

?The challenges faced by poor people are inextricably connected to wildlife conservation,? said Dr. Dale Lewis, director of WCS?s Zambia Program. ?COMACO gives these people the means to attain a level of food security, and to secure additional income through markets tailored for them. Ultimately, this means less pressure on wildlife, which in turn begets a more intact environment, cleaner water, and the option of ecotourism for these communities.?

Since its inception, COMACO has increased its membership to more than 2,000 producer groups in the Luangwa Valley, for a total of more than 23,000 farmers. In addition to turning in their firearms, COMACO participants have also handed over approximately 33,000 wire snares. WCS estimates that taking such large numbers of guns and snares out of circulation has saved no less than 4,000 animals per year from illegal hunting in the region. And by conserving the wildlife, communities turning profits can invest in tourism; last year, three such communities in the program managed to establish bush camps for tourists eager to visit the Luangwa Valley, world-renowned for its elephants.

?COMACO is beginning to make a real difference,? added Lewis. ?The program has already transformed the lives of desperate people who once had no other option but to hunt wildlife. Now, many communities have become empowered with the tools of self-reliance, which in the end benefits humans and wildlife alike.?

Elephant with calf ?WCS/Dale Lewis

Learn More

To learn more about the WCS Zambia Program, or to make a donation, visit www.wcs.org/international/Africa/zambia.

For more information about COMACO, visit www.itswild.org.

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