Environmental policy and administrative management

The UCZ is a faith-based organization with the mission To spread the gospel in order to reconcile the world to God through love, provision of sustainable spiritual and physical growth of people, and respect for the environment, together with the advancement of the universal church of God." The UCZ is registered as a Trust under the Land (Perpetual Succession) Act Chapter 186 of the Laws of Zambia. The UCZ is a member of the Christian Council of Churches of Zambia (CCZ) and thrives together with partner Churches in mitigating rural poverty. The UCZ takes an ecumenical approach towards other Churches and religions and promotes cooperation and networking with other organizations and institutions. In 2005 a Community Development Department (CDD) was established to consolidate, monitor, and evaluate existing community interventions and to build and develop the capacity of social development workers in the Church to implement sustainable projects and programmes in partnership with local communities and other stakeholders. The main objective of the Community Development Department is to support and facilitate programs for development and sustainable livelihood for Christians and other persons living in the communities. The Department was established as an independent accountable entity of the United Church, reporting to Synod as the supervisory, governing and lawmaking body of the United Church of Zambia. With the inception of the Community Development Department the United Church of Zambia has declared to take a professional approach towards supporting a sustainable spiritual and physical growth of people and their environment and thus entered the mainstream of Faith Based Organizations (FBO) addressing social and social-economical challenges by stimulating and empowering the capability, hidden talents, potency and strength that lie in every human being. 2. Project s main objective 2.1 To support subsistence/small-scale farmers in the Petauke district of the Eastern Province of Zambia in the transition from conventional agricultural practices with high external input to ecological and economical agricultural production through alternative farming methods and land management for self-sustainability, raised levels of food security and income and thereby contributing to the protection and regeneration of the environment for future generations. 3. Specific Objectives 3.1 Developing in a participatory approach strong organizational structures with a multiplying effect of skills and knowledge transfer. 3.2 Building and expanding on existing farming capacities through specific skills development in sustainable (organic) conservation farming methods, environmentally sustainable land use and resource management including improved livestock management the introduction of green manure and agro-forestry as integral part of sustainable agriculture.

Zambia