ZAAB Calls on Citizens to Embrace Indigenous Foods and Traditions”
By Daily News Reporter
My Food, My Identity: A National Call to Reclaim Zambia’s Food Heritage..................
In many Zambian homes, the aroma of ifisashi, chikanda, lumanda, or freshly pounded nshima once told stories of family, land, and belonging. These meals were more than food — they were identity, culture, and survival. Yet today, as fast foods and imported diets gain ground, those stories are slowly fading.
It is against this backdrop that the Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB), under the Food is African movement, has launched a powerful 7-day Focus Campaign titled “My Food, My Identity.” The campaign is a national call to reconnect Zambians with their indigenous foods, cultural knowledge, and sustainable farming systems that have nourished generations.
And ZAAB National Coordinator Mrs. Mutinta Nketani-Maseko emphasized that food is deeply personal — and profoundly political.
“Protecting our food heritage is not only about culture,” she said. “It is about safeguarding our health, our environment, and the future of our food systems.”
Across Zambia, especially among young people, the distance between farm and plate has grown wider. Many consumers no longer know where their food comes from, how it is grown, or the traditional wisdom behind it. Indigenous crops such as millet, sorghum, cassava, cowpeas, pumpkins, and wild fruits — once staples — are increasingly sidelined despite their high nutritional value and resilience to climate shocks.
The My Food, My Identity campaign seeks to reverse this trend.
Over the next seven days, ZAAB and its partners will spotlight how food shapes identity, connects families and communities, supports small-scale farmers, and strengthens climate-resilient food systems. Through storytelling, community engagement, and public dialogue, the campaign encourages Zambians to celebrate traditional dishes from all corners of the country and to choose locally produced foods.
For smallholder farmers, indigenous food systems are also a matter of survival. Agroecological practices rooted in local knowledge help farmers adapt to erratic rainfall, protect biodiversity, and reduce dependence on costly external inputs. By embracing indigenous foods, communities are also investing in sustainable livelihoods.
Nutrition experts agree that many traditional foods offer superior health benefits, helping to address rising levels of diet-related diseases. At the same time, preserving food heritage helps protect seed diversity — a critical resource in the face of climate change.
The campaign is intentionally inclusive. ZAAB is calling on elders, youth, farmers, chefs, storytellers, and consumers alike to share their food stories — from family recipes and farming traditions to memories tied to specific meals.
At its heart, My Food, My Identity is about pride — pride in who Zambians are, where their food comes from, and the knowledge passed down through generations.
As Zambia looks toward a future shaped by climate uncertainty and changing diets, the message from ZAAB is clear: the answers may already be on our plates.












