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Abstract
After two decades of de-urbanization, Zambia is again becoming increasingly urban. While
the urban share of the population fell to 35% in 2000 due primarily to the decline of the
copper industry, over half of Zambia’s people will be residing in urban areas by 2040. Given
this urbanization trajectory, to be effective, policies to promote smallholder agriculture and
improved urban food marketing system performance in Zambia will need to take into
consideration the demand patterns of urban food consumers. Urban consumption patterns will
increasingly determine the opportunities available to small-scale farmers. Accurate
information on urban consumer preferences can also help identify key leverage points and
investment priorities to improve the performance of the food marketing system.