The collaborative initiative "GREEN FUTURES - CAPACITY AND COOPERATION FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF AGRICULTURE" has successfully concluded its final project, marking a significant milestone in international agricultural knowledge and technology transfer in Southern Africa. The end-of-project meeting took place from November 17 to 18, 2025, at the Fairmount Hotel in Livingstone, Zambia.
Speaking during the closing meeting, University of Zambia Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Trywell Kalusopa, said that the project had successfully achieved its goals and that all partners had completed their tasks across various work packages.
Prof Kalusopa stressed that the conclusion of the project funding was not an end, but a beginning. "This end-of-project meeting must not be the end of our collaboration," he stated, adding that it should "serve as a stepping stone to new opportunities in: Collaborative research and innovation, Capacity building, Knowledge and technology transfer sharing".
Prof Kalusopa added that the core mission of the Green Futures initiative was to strengthen and support marginalised groups in the agricultural sector in Southern Africa through knowledge transfer and capacity development. โThe target groups included women, young and smallholder farmers, as well as university students, with a clear focus on food security and gender equality,โ he said.
Meanwhile, Prof Carsten Lorz, HSWT Vice President and Green Futures Project Lead, commended the significant milestone achieved through the collaboration. He encouraged the team to continue their work, noting the "huge challenge not just to feed people but also to contribute to the economic and social stability".
Prof. Lorz also acknowledged and thanked the UNZA team for successfully leading the project.
The consortium included institutions from five countries, namely University of Zambia (UNZA) โ Zambia, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) โ Germany, Stellenbosch University (SU) - South Africa, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) โ Kenya and Universitรฉ du Sine Saloum El-Hadji Ibrahima NIASS (USSEIN) - Senegal.
And University of Zambia Dean, School of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Thomson Kalinda, said the initiative "represents a strong commitment to transforming agriculture for a sustainable future". He also called for further collaborations to enhance learning, capacity building, and technology transfer in the current global economy.
The project partners unanimously expressed gratitude to the German Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity for the essential financial support that made the initiative a success.