Zambia has built a substantial body of research on agriculture, covering seed systems, grain markets, food security, climate resilience and agricultural production. But a new study is examining a critical question: how much of that evidence actually reaches policymakers and influences government decisions?

The research, being conducted by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI), is comparing Zambia’s seed and grain sectors to understand why agricultural evidence is sometimes adopted into policy while, in other cases, it fails to gain traction.

The study comes as agricultural policy continues to play a central role in Zambia’s food security, farmer incomes and regional trade. Decisions on seed availability, grain marketing, imports and exports can have a direct impact on producers, consumers and agricultural businesses.

Why Agricultural Evidence Matters

Research can help policymakers understand complex agricultural challenges, evaluate different policy options and identify the potential consequences of government decisions.

However, evidence does not automatically translate into policy.

Its influence can depend on when the research becomes available, how it is communicated, who produced it and whether policymakers consider the source credible and relevant. Farmer organisations, think tanks, civil society groups and other intermediaries can also play an important role in ensuring research reaches decision-makers.

The study therefore looks beyond the quality of research itself, examining the institutional, political and economic factors that determine whether evidence is used.

Zambia’s Seed nd Grain Sectors Take Different Paths

The seed sector provides one important example of relatively coordinated agricultural policymaking. Zambia has developed structured regulatory systems, strong private-sector participation and greater integration with regional markets.

Policy and regulatory harmonisation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has also supported the development of regional seed markets, with technical cooperation contributing to Zambia’s position as an important seed producer and trading hub.

The grain sector faces a different policy environment.

Because grain is closely linked to food prices, food security and farmer livelihoods, government decisions surrounding imports, exports, strategic grain reserves and market regulation can be highly sensitive.

The sector has experienced abrupt policy changes, including import and export restrictions, while stakeholders have sometimes held differing views about how available evidence should inform decisions.

Rather than declaring one sector successful and the other unsuccessful, the study aims to understand how institutional structures, stakeholder interests and political pressures influence the use of evidence.

Building A Stronger Agricultural Policy System

CIMMYT and IAPRI launched the study at an inception meeting in Lusaka on May 20, 2026, bringing together representatives from government, research organisations, the private sector, farmer groups, civil society, regional institutions and development partners.

Participants identified several barriers to evidence uptake, including weak coordination between institutions and limited integration of existing platforms.

The research is now moving into detailed policy and document reviews, stakeholder interviews and analysis of how evidence moves through Zambia’s seed and grain policy systems.

The ultimate objective is to develop practical recommendations for strengthening Zambia’s wider agricultural evidence ecosystem.

For researchers, the findings could provide guidance on making evidence more timely, accessible and relevant to policymakers. For farmer organisations and civil society, they could help identify better ways of communicating research and representing underrepresented perspectives.

For government institutions, the study could highlight mechanisms that allow credible evidence to play a more consistent role in agricultural decision-making.

The research highlights an important lesson for Zambia’s agricultural sector: producing more research is not enough. Building trust, improving coordination and ensuring evidence reaches policymakers at the right time will be critical to turning agricultural knowledge into better decisions.