Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) links biodiversity conservation with sustainable improvements in livelihoods and food production

In Zambia's Luangwa Valley, past economic development initiatives and household coping strategies have severely depleted natural resources and, in turn, hindered further development. The Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) Model has been developed to improve and shift livelihoods to ventures that also protect and conserve natural resources. The program trains the least food-secure in sustainable agriculture practices, identifies and trains those responsible for the greatest amount of resource depletion, and helps provide access to extension and markets to both of these groups. Although the program is still in progress, numerous indicators have been identified that signal its effectiveness, such as the stabilization of certain animal species and adoption of sustainable agriculture practices.