As Southern Africa braces for the looming El Niño in the 2026/2027 farming season, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is applauding grassroots efforts in Zambia that could inspire resilience across the SADC region. 

FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, Ayman Omer, visited the Choma District Tree Nurseries Association in Zambia's southern province. 

Supported by FAO through the Forest and Farm Facility Project, the association is producing hundreds of thousands of tree seedlings, considered a vital tool in restoring degraded landscapes and building climate resilience. 

FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, Ayman Omer, says the initiative is proof that community‑led forestry enterprises can transform lives. 

He notes that testimonies from farmers show how seedling production is boosting incomes, creating jobs, and restoring land during drought periods. 

Meanwhile, FAO Zambia Country Representative Suze Filippini joined the visit, reaffirming the organisation's commitment to strengthening sustainable forestry and land restoration.

And a local forestry officer, Ireen Chilundika, said the association has expanded seedling production from 50,000 to over 300,000, turning Choma into a centre for environmental education.

As El Niño threatens food security across Southern Africa, however, simple seedlings in Choma could grow into a regional solution. 

A local nursery with regional impact, showing how community action can help the SADC weather cope with the storms of climate change.