Zambia rejoins the ICAC, becomes 11th member government in Africa

While the ICAC is always thrilled to welcome back former Members, the reunion with Zambia is an especially happy moment because the ICAC, through a project with the International Trade Centre (ITC), has been spending a lot of time there over the last few years, training farmers via the ICAC's Four Simple Steps to Sustainable High Yields methodology and Virtual Reality Cotton Training Programme.

ICAC has been partnering with ITC in an effort to increase and even double yields in Zambia. This initiative is being implemented within the framework of the Cotton Production and Handloom Development project in Zambia implemented by ITC and financed by the EU under the ‘ACP Business-Friendly Programme’. Other components of the project target handloom development to diversify farm-level income as well as improving seed cotton marketing practices.

'The ICAC is extremely pleased to welcome Zambia back as a Member government, especially after our productive work together teaching best practices to small holder cotton farmers there through the use of ICAC innovations like our Four Simple Steps methodology and Virtual Reality Cotton Training Programme', said ICAC Executive Director Kai Hughes. 'The effectiveness of those tools, combined with the productive working relationship we established while working hand-in-hand with the cotton professionals on the ground there, allowed Zambian officials to witness first-hand the value that the ICAC can bring to the cotton community in a country and we are thrilled to welcome this critical cotton-producing country back as a Member'.