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The Politics Of Maize In Zambia: Who Holds The Keys To Change The Status Quo?, Antony Chapoto, Olipa Zulu-Mbata, Barak D. Hoffman, Chance Kabaghe, Nicholas J. Sitko, Auckland Kuteya, Ballard Zulu

Zambia Social Science Journal

As both the national staple food and primary smallholder crop, maize occupies a central position in Zambia’s agricultural political economy. Despite the government’s large subsidies, maize productivity levels remain way below global averages, maize commercialisation in the smallholder sector remains highly concentrated, maize meal prices are highly volatile, and rural poverty remains high. This study uses a political economy framework to better understand the policy-making process, power structures and dynamics involved in the maize sector in order to get a better understanding of who holds the keys to change, and how to influence agricultural policy changes. Net-Map procedure was used …