Centre for Urban Research and Planning - CURP

Centre for Urban Research and Planning - CURP A transdisciplinary Research Centre of Excellence at UNZA, committed to investing in and generating policy-relevant knowledge on key developmental issues.

Bridging research and policy-action for sustainable urban development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Before families gather around for a meal, someone has already been hard at work. 🌱Today, we celebrate Zambia's farmers; ...
03/08/2026

Before families gather around for a meal, someone has already been hard at work. 🌱

Today, we celebrate Zambia's farmers; the women and men whose hands nourish our nation, often long before the rest of us begin our day.

At the Centre for Urban Research and Planning - CURP, we are privileged to work alongside farming communities and partners through initiatives like FRESHGROWS, exploring how research, innovation and local knowledge can strengthen sustainable food systems and Home-Grown School Meals.

Leave a 💚 to say thank you to the people who help feed Zambia.

Happy .

30/07/2026

🌱 See how the Future Resilience of Home-Grown School Feeding System in Urban Zambia and Malawi (FRESHGROWS) pilot in Senkobo Village of Kazungula District is empowering women farmers and creating lasting benefits for learners and local communities.

Senkobo Village, in Kazungula District, is one of the FRESHGROWS pilot sites exploring how women-led agricultural produc...
30/07/2026

Senkobo Village, in Kazungula District, is one of the FRESHGROWS pilot sites exploring how women-led agricultural production can be effectively integrated into Home-Grown School Meals programmes, creating benefits for learners, families and local economies alike.

The pilot combines agricultural production, practical learning and market linkages to help women build sustainable enterprises capable of supplying nutritious food to schools.

By working alongside communities and local partners, the Centre for Urban Research and Planning - CURP, under The University of Zambia -UNZA continues to support research that informs practical, scalable solutions for resilient food systems.

In Sekobo Village, Kazungula District, a group of determined women are cultivating more than vegetables; they are cultiv...
28/07/2026

In Sekobo Village, Kazungula District, a group of determined women are cultivating more than vegetables; they are cultivating opportunity.

Working through The Butterfly Tree and supported by Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre under the FRESHGROWS Project, the women have been allocated land by the traditional leadership to establish a production centre where they can grow nutritious and safe food while building sustainable livelihoods.

The initiative provides seeds and seedlings, but lasting impact goes beyond agricultural inputs. By strengthening women's knowledge and skills in sustainable food production, the project aims to equip them to supply nutritious produce for school meals while creating reliable income opportunities for their families.

This work demonstrates how research, local partnerships and community participation can contribute to stronger food systems and greater gender equality.

At the Centre for Urban Research and Planning - CURP, we believe sustainable development begins with communities, and communities thrive when women are empowered to lead.

23/07/2026

At the Centre for Urban Research and Planning - CURP, solutions start with shared knowledge.

Through the project, we are using the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach to work alongside communities to identify Climate Resilience Development Pathways (CRDPs) that reflect local realities, priorities and knowledge.

This is how we build solutions that communities can own, strengthen and sustain long after project timelines end.

Research with communities. Solutions grounded in lived experience.

As our cities grow, urban development challenges increasingly require evidence that connects research, decision-making a...
02/07/2026

As our cities grow, urban development challenges increasingly require evidence that connects research, decision-making and practice.

The Centre for Urban Research and Planning - CURP at The University of Zambia -UNZA produces interdisciplinary on climate resilience, food systems, governance and sustainable urban development, contributing to a stronger evidence base for decision-making.

As cities evolve, the role of research is not only to describe change, but to inform how responses are designed and implemented across sectors.

Learn more about our work on this platform.

01/07/2026

It is great to see Zambia’s National School Feeding Programme continue to expand, with new partnerships supporting broader implementation efforts.

School meals sit at the intersection of education, nutrition, agriculture, and social protection, requiring effective coordination across multiple stakeholders to function at scale.

Findings from our FRESHGROWS report for Year 1, highlight that fragmented implementation can constrain efficiency and sustainability, while stronger alignment between government, implementing partners and technical actors improves system performance and long-term outcomes.

As the programme continues to expand, coordination and institutional alignment will remain critical considerations for strengthening delivery and impact.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD RESILIENT SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMMES? 🌱🥣The FRESHGROWS Year 1 Technical Report, based on resea...
26/06/2026

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD RESILIENT SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMMES? 🌱🥣

The FRESHGROWS Year 1 Technical Report, based on research conducted across and , found that many schools face challenges with food storage, cooking facilities, water access and waste management, all of which affect the safety, quality and reliability of school meals.

What will it take to build school feeding systems that are resilient, sustainable and fit for the future?

📖 Read the full FRESHGROWS Year 1 Technical Report here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7475484468334616576

FROM FARM TO SCHOOL: GETTING FOOD PRODUCTION RIGHT 🌱🌽If you haven’t had a chance to read the FRESHGROWS Year 1 Report, i...
24/06/2026

FROM FARM TO SCHOOL: GETTING FOOD PRODUCTION RIGHT 🌱🌽

If you haven’t had a chance to read the FRESHGROWS Year 1 Report, it's available for you to explore key insights on building resilient school feeding programmes in and .

A key theme in the report is that these programmes are only as strong as the food production systems that support them, starting with farmers. The findings show that farmers in both countries are working under significant pressure from climate shocks such as droughts and floods, limited access to irrigation and capital, gaps in extension services and uncertainty around consistent school procurement.

These challenges make it difficult for farmers to confidently invest in diversified, climate-resilient production systems which are essential for the longevity and nutritious value of the school feeding programmes. Findings show that approaches linked to agroecology, composting and conservation farming are emerging, although they remain limited in scale and support.

A key focus of FRESHGROWS in Year 2 is the trialling phase, testing scalable models that strengthen smallholder participation and promote sustainable farming practices in school food system testbeds.

View the full report here: https://lnkd.in/d8k4t5FY

A school meal should do more than satisfy hunger. It should help children grow, stay healthy and focus in class. But del...
17/06/2026

A school meal should do more than satisfy hunger. It should help children grow, stay healthy and focus in class. But delivering nutritious, safe and diverse meals every day is not always straightforward.

The FRESHGROWS Year 1 Technical Report found that many schools across Zambia and Malawi rely on a limited number of affordable staple foods. At the same time, school cooks often have limited access to training, while challenges related to water access, food safety and resources can make meal preparation more difficult.

In Year 2, the FRESHGROWS research project is testing more diverse menus using locally available foods and strengthening the capacity of school cooks to prepare safe and nutritious meals.

The project recognises that school feeding can be more than a social protection intervention. It can be a springboard for transforming food systems by creating pathways towards sustainable, safe and nutritious food for all.

Read the full FRESHGROWS Year 1 Technical Report here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7470026214259290113

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University Of Zambia, Great East Road Campus/Department Of Geographical Science, Environment And Planning, School Of Natural And Applied Sciences
Lusaka

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