Extreme poverty and a dependence on agriculture drive deforestation in Zambia’s Eastern
Province. Improving productivity through soil fertility measures is a key strategy to
addressing deforestation, because poor production practices and soil depletion cause
farmers to expand cultivation into forest areas. Depending on their specific circumstances,
farmers should be offered a range of options to improve productivity. These include
improved soil management, planting nitrogen-fixing trees, or simply improving the use
of agricultural inputs.