{"id":25553,"date":"2025-06-17T09:47:22","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T07:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/news\/cultivating-resilience-madam-racheals-journey-in-soy-farming\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T16:06:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T14:06:43","slug":"cultivating-resilience-madam-racheals-journey-in-soy-farming","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/news\/cultivating-resilience-madam-racheals-journey-in-soy-farming\/","title":{"rendered":"Cultivating Resilience: Madam Racheal\u2019s Journey in Soy Farming"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

For over a decade, Madam Racheal Chiyabi<\/strong> has worked the land in Mumbwa District, raising chickens and growing vegetables, cowpeas, maize, and groundnuts. However, it is her growing success in soy farming that tells a larger story<\/strong> \u2014 one of climate resilience, mutual solidarity, and a woman farmer rising as a leader in her community.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Photo Focus 1: Mrs R Chiyaba holding soya that was cultivated and left to dry at her field in Mumbwa<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Soy farming became a core part of Racheal\u2019s livelihood after she joined farmers supported by the Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project<\/strong> through a grant facilitated by GIZ and implemented by Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO). COMACO is a Zambian social enterprise that promotes both wildlife conservation and sustainable agriculture. Through this partnership, Racheal received training in climate-smart conservation agriculture, including potholing, tractor-supported land preparation, and the integration of Gliricidia trees for agroforestry.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t

\u201cWhat makes me\nproud,\u201d Racheal says, \u201cis how diversified my farm is. I\u2019ve grown to a level\nwhere I compete with men in similar value chains.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMrs. R Chiyabi<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Her leadership extends beyond her field.<\/strong> As head of her cooperative, Racheal highlighted that their cooperatives embody a model of 50-50 gender representation in farming decision-making, ensuring women\u2019s voices are equal and active in group leadership.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Photo Focus 2: Racheal Chiyabi (left), a COMACO-registered farmer, and one of the women from the cooperative clean some of the harvested soya beans at her homestead \u2014 a step towards improved food security and income.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

But the 2023\/2024 season brought one of her toughest tests yet. A severe drought, worsened by unpredictable climate patterns, devastated yields and led to food shortages and livestock deaths in her area.<\/strong> Mrs Chiyabi highlighted that one of the major challenges they now face is climate change. Aside from the severe droughts, the current 24\/25 rainy season brought with it very late rain. \u201cThe rain came in May \u2014 that has never happened before,\u201d she recalls.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In response to the effects of the drought, GIZ through COMACO supported Racheal and other registered farmers with soya seed to help them recover and continue production. And more than just inputs, the project fostered group-based systems to function on day-day and this helps cushion the blow and the many challenges they face.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t

\u201cIn our farmer groups, we support each other. No one struggles alone,\u201d Racheal says. \u201cWe\u2019ve\neven formed savings groups \u2014 it\u2019s made us stronger together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMrs. R Chiyabi<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Beyond production, COMACO plays a critical role in connecting farmers like Madam Racheal to markets.<\/strong> The organization aggregates soya from smallholder women, including her cooperative, and processes it into value-added products like \u201cYummy Soy\u201d \u2014 a nutritious, affordable cereal now stocked in supermarkets across Zambia. This model not only promotes local value addition but creates direct market opportunities for rural women,<\/strong> reinforcing the power of inclusive business in transforming livelihoods.\u00a0<\/span> Through the work to be done with GIZ, COMACO will contribute to the preservation of <\/strong><\/span>450,000 hectares of community forest and over 2,000 farmers being trained about sustainable agricultural practices. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

SAFE is a project co-funded by the European Union<\/span>, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ),<\/ins> and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BZ), and part of the Team Europe Initiative on deforestation-free value chains.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Photo Focus 3: A worker at the COMACO hub in Mumbwa holds a pack of Yummy Soy, a nutritious cereal made from locally grown soya \u2014 proudly processed by communities and women like Mrs R Chibiya.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Author<\/span><\/strong>:\u00a0<\/strong> Ms Olivia C Ngaba, Comms Advisor, GIZ SAFE<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo Credit:<\/strong> Luke Katemba<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For over a decade, Madam Racheal Chiyabi has worked the land in Mumbwa District, raising chickens and growing vegetables, cowpeas, maize, and groundnuts. However, it is her growing success in soy farming that tells a larger story \u2014 one of climate resilience, mutual solidarity, and a woman farmer rising as a leader in her community. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":19088,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-category":[421,412],"class_list":["post-25553","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-safe-zambia","news-category-sustainable-agriculture-for-forest-ecosystems-safe"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/25553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/25553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25557,"href":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/25553\/revisions\/25557"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zerodeforestationhub.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-category?post=25553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}