Zambia's food supply comes from farming, livestock, fisheries, beekeeping, imports and food businesses. The main agricultural products include maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, groundnuts, soyabeans, sorghum, millet, rice, vegetables, poultry, cattle, milk and fish. In 2024, agricultural households included about 2.12 million crop households, 1.36 million livestock households and 60,429 honey households. Many household heads engaged in agriculture had no formal agricultural training, which affects access to improved production and storage practices. Food patterns differ by region. Higher-rainfall areas in the north commonly rely more on cassava, fish and floodplain systems, while central and southern areas rely more on maize and cattle. Drought and rainfall variation can reduce local supply, change the price of mealie meal and other staples, and increase substitution with cassava, sweet potatoes, millet, sorghum or rice. A national maize balance does not guarantee that food is available or affordable in every district. The Food Reserve Agency manages the National Strategic Food Reserve under the Food Reserve Act No. 6 of 2020. It can buy, import, store and sell designated commodities through more than 1,200 depots. ZAMACE provides a formal agricultural trading channel. The Ministry of Agriculture supports eligible farmers through the Farmer Input Support Programme, including the Direct Input Supply and eVoucher pathways. These are producer-support schemes, not general consumer benefits, and access depends on registration and the relevant farmer and agro-dealer process. People buy and eat food through household production, markets, informal stalls, formal restaurants and other providers. Urban restaurants commonly offer Zambian and international dishes. Markets and street stalls may sell vitumbuwa, roasted peanuts, ifinkubala and inswa. Availability and hygiene conditions vary by place, season and seller. Common local foods also include kapenta, ifisashi, masuku and mawuyu. Zambia's Food-Based Dietary Guidelines recommend daily variety across cereals and starchy roots or tubers, vegetables, fruits, fish, insects and other animal-source foods, dairy, and legumes, pulses and nuts. They encourage whole grains and colourful vegetables and fruits while advising people to limit highly processed foods, salt, sugar and excess fats. The guidelines support healthy and sustainable diets but do not replace individual medical advice. UNICEF and the 2024 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey reported stunting in 32% of children under five, wasting in 3%, anaemia in 28% of children under five and anaemia in 21% of women of reproductive age. The Food Safety Act No. 7 of 2019, brought into force through Statutory Instrument No. 19 of 2020, addresses unsafe, poisonous, unfit, adulterated and deceptively labelled food. Food businesses and food handlers need safe preparation, storage and premises practices, with a certificate of compliance or health inspection report where the applicable process requires it. The Ministry of Health, animal-health and agriculture authorities, trade bodies and local authorities share enforcement roles. Local authorities license and inspect food-selling businesses, markets, street trading, abattoirs, water and sanitation arrangements, and district health conditions. ZCSA applies compulsory standards and can conduct pre-market approval for high-risk commodities as well as factory, border and market surveillance. Relevant standards cover products such as maize meal, edible oils, milk, yoghurt, groundnuts, fresh produce and drinking water. Food prices change with harvests, lean seasons, rainfall, transport and local market conditions. Historical Ministry of Agriculture averages for the first quarter of 2025 included ZMK 9.46 per kilogram for maize in March, ZMK 347.79 for a 25-kilogram bag of breakfast meal, ZMK 285.67 for a 25-kilogram bag of roller meal, ZMK 32.26 per kilogram for rice, ZMK 33.88 for mixed beans, ZMK 35.55 for groundnuts and ZMK 14.61 for tomatoes. These figures are historical reference points rather than current quotations. ZamStats reported food inflation of 8.2% year on year in February 2026 and 7.8% in March 2026. Climate risks make crop diversification, irrigation, conservation agriculture, agroforestry, better soil and water management and lower post-harvest losses relevant to Zambia's food supply. The 2023/24 drought showed how quickly production and access can be affected. National agriculture policy and the Ministry of Agriculture's 2022–2026 strategic plan promote climate-smart and more resilient production systems.
Food in Zambia
Food in Zambia combines maize-based staples, regional crops, fish, meat, vegetables, legumes, fruits and prepared foods sold at home, markets, street stalls and restaurants. Nshima is a thick maize-meal staple, usually served with ndiwo or relish such as vegetables, beans, fish, chicken or meat. Availability, prices and meal choices vary with rainfall, harvest cycles, transport and household income.
Tip
Plan meals and purchases around current local prices, seasonal availability and a mix of staple foods, vegetables, legumes, fish or other animal-source foods. Treat historical price figures and national supply balances as planning references only; check the market or provider in your area before committing money. Use safer preparation and storage practices, and apply the relevant authority and standards requirements if you sell or prepare food for others.