IPM, Safer Pesticide Use, Pesticides Compliance, and Food Standards

Program BackgroundSince March 2004, Land O’Lakes has been conducting its first Title II program in Zambia. The program focuses on building food security through dairy livestock activities that increase incomes and reduce food insecurity among vulnerable populations. The program targets smallholder farmers who are organized into producer groups through which technical support is provided in the form of training in dairy development, stocking and cross-breeding, formation of producer groups, and establishment of milk collection centers. This support enables them to increase the output per cow and to effectively market raw milk. Technical assistance is also provided to small- and medium-sized dairy processors through the introduction of quality assurance systems and new product development technologies.

Rationale for this Activity

While Land O’Lakes Zambia staff members possessed some background expertise in the use and management of chemicals used in dairy livestock management, staff required more in-depth guidance in a number of areas that would enable them to ensure the highest quality technical advice is delivered in the field, that its work upholds U.S. Government standards, and that its reporting conforms with Regulation 216 on environmental requirements. Written technical guidance had been provided and one staff member had received training. However, most of the technical staff members requiring this support had not participated in formal training activities.

In this regard, Land O’Lakes Zambia had requested training in the following topic areas:

  1. Introduction to Regulation 216

  2. Environmental monitoring and setting up an environmental management plan

  3. Environmental training for small scale farmers
  4. SAID’s expectations in an annual ESR
  5. Conducting a PERSUAP – when this should be conducted and why?
  6. Environmental issues at different stages of the dairy chain: farm, milk collection center, dairy processor
  7. USAID’s expectations of budgetary allocations to environmental activities and other environmental compliance issues