LocationsHow the Green Climate Fund-Supported SCRALA Project Goat Pass-On Mechanism Has Become a Climate Shock Buffer for Farmers
Passing Hope Forward: How a Simple Goat Scheme is Building Climate Resilience in Zambia
July 14, 2026
Collage of photos of the Goat Pass-On Model under the SCRALA Project
Photo by: Mulapwa Mukopole/UNDP Zambia
In many rural communities across Zambia, climate change is no longer a distant conversation discussed in conference halls and policy meetings. It is a lived reality. Droughts have become longer, rainfall patterns more unpredictable, and farming seasons increasingly unreliable. For thousands of smallholder farmers who depend on rain-fed agriculture, the impacts are devastating: failed harvests, food insecurity, shrinking incomes, and growing uncertainty about the future.
Yet amid these challenges, one of the most effective responses has emerged not from expensive technology or large-scale infrastructure, but from a surprisingly simple approach designed to reduce overdependence on rain-fed agriculture: the pass-on goat model, which involves passing goats from one small-scale farmer to another.
Through the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro Ecological Regions I and II (SCRALA) project, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Zambia, funded by the Green Climate Fund, and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture with technical support from the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD), and the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA), vulnerable households are benefiting from the Goat-Pass-On Mechanism. Under this approach, each household receives five goats, comprising four female goats and one male goat. Once the herd grows, usually within a year, the household passes five goats to another family. This cycle continues from one household to the next, creating a growing chain of resilience, opportunity, and community support. (UNDP Adaptation)
At first glance, the idea appears modest. But its impact is transforming lives and redefining how communities adapt to climate shocks.
How Climate Change is Changing the Way Farmers Survive
Across Zambia's drought-prone regions, farming has become increasingly uncertain. Communities that once depended almost entirely on maize production are now struggling to survive.
In Kazungula District, smallholder farmer Justin Sitali described how years of recurring droughts destroyed the certainty his family once had. "The once-abundant harvests that sustained families are now a distant memory," noted a UNDP Zambia story documenting his experience. (UNDP)
Similarly, Lesi Malikapasa from Chirundu District experienced repeated crop failures due to drought and pest infestations. Her family frequently struggled to find enough food, and financial constraints prevented her younger children from attending school. (UNDP Adaptation)
These stories reflect a broader reality. Climate change is not only reducing agricultural productivity; it is eroding livelihoods, nutrition, education opportunities, and dignity.
Against this background, the introduction of climate-resilient livestock has provided many households with an alternative pathway to withstand recurring shocks.
Why Goats Matter During Climate Change
The success of the Goat Pass-On model lies in the practicality of goats themselves.
Unlike cattle, goats are resilient in harsh climates. They require less water, survive on sparse vegetation, reproduce quickly, and can thrive in drought-prone areas. In climate-vulnerable communities, goats become more than livestock; they become economic insurance.
The value of goats has also increased significantly over time. While a goat could be sold for around K400 (approximately USD 16.35) in 2024 in Chirundu District, prices in 2026 are estimated to range between K1,000 and K1,500 (approximately USD 55.27 to USD 82.59) in most SCRALA implementation districts. The project has contributed to a growing goat population and stimulated local economic activity, strengthening the resilience of farming households.
To date, the project has reached 9,262 farmers (5,236, representing 57% women) across the 16 districts and contributed to a total goat population of 26,360 goats. In 2025 alone, total goat sales across all districts amounted to ZMW 4.3 million (approximately USD 236,000), contributing to socio-economic growth in communities and the country at large while supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals on No Poverty and Zero Hunger.
Beyond income generation, goats serve multiple purposes in supporting household resilience. They provide a financial safety net during climate shocks and contribute to household nutrition when consumed.
Justin Sitali explained their value simply:
"Even when faced with drought, I can just sell one goat and buy 10 × 50 kg bags of maize." (UNDP)
For families facing unpredictable weather, goats provide immediate financial flexibility. They help households pay school fees, buy food, access healthcare, and invest in other income-generating activities.
The goats also contribute to improved farming practices. Their manure is used as organic fertilizer, reducing dependence on costly commercial fertilizers while enhancing soil health and fertility. This creates a circular livelihood system where livestock supports climate-smart farming practices, strengthening household resilience to climate-related challenges.
To help farmers maximise these benefits, the project goes beyond goat distribution. Beneficiaries are trained in proper goat husbandry, including the construction of improved goat shelters. The training is provided in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Livestock and Veterinary Services under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, equipping farmers with practical skills to prevent diseases, reduce goat mortality, and improve the health and productivity of their herds.
The Power of Small Ideas
While the goats themselves are important, the true innovation lies in the model behind them.
Development programmes often struggle with sustainability because support ends when donor funding ends. The Pass-On system, however, builds sustainability into the model itself. Beneficiaries become contributors. Every household that benefits is expected to extend that opportunity to another family.
This creates what development experts often call a multiplier effect. Goats benefit many households in a community over time.
UNDP Zambia described the model as one that "helps promote resilience by building community solidarity." (United Nations in Zambia)
In communities where climate stress can increase competition and vulnerability, the scheme instead strengthens cooperation, shared responsibility, and social cohesion. Families begin to see resilience as something built collectively rather than individually.
Women at the Centre of Resilience
An important feature of the initiative is its focus on women, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable households who are disproportionately affected by climate change.
Lesi Malikapasa, who has a hearing impairment, faced skepticism from members of her community when she first received the goats.
"People said I would not be able to take care of the goats because of my disability," she recalled. (UNDP Adaptation)
Yet within a few years, she had expanded her herd from five goats to sixteen. Income from goat sales enabled her to establish a vegetable garden, feed her family consistently, and send her children to school.
Likewise, Nanswau Samisis from Mulobezi District used proceeds from goat farming to replace her leaking thatched roof with iron sheets after years of living in fear during the rainy season.
"I remember the smiles on my children's faces when we slept in the house with iron roofing sheets for the first time," she said. (UNDP)
The story is similar for Nerddy, a 50-year-old farmer from Namwala District.
These stories go far beyond livestock ownership. They are stories of restored dignity, improved nutrition, greater access to education, safer housing, and growing economic independence.
Climate Adaptation as Social Protection
The Goat Pass-On Mechanism demonstrates an important lesson for climate adaptation efforts across Africa: resilience does not always begin with mega-projects or sophisticated technologies. Sometimes, resilience begins with locally appropriate, community-owned solutions that people understand and can sustain themselves.
UNDP Zambia has repeatedly emphasised that climate adaptation must also function as social protection. The SCRALA project combines goat rearing with conservation agriculture, weather information services, financial literacy, irrigation support, alternative livelihoods such as chicken rearing, goat rearing, beekeeping, and fish farming, market access, and crop storage facilities. (UNDP)
This integrated approach recognises that climate resilience is not just about surviving droughts; it is about strengthening entire household economies and reducing vulnerability over the long term.
A Replicable Model for Africa
Perhaps the greatest strength of the Goat Pass-On model is its simplicity and scalability.
The concept can easily be adapted beyond goats. Communities can replicate the same approach using pigs, seeds, beehives, irrigation equipment, or savings groups. The principle remains unchanged: empower one household to empower another.
In a world increasingly searching for sustainable climate solutions, the Pass-On concept reminds us that transformation does not always require complexity. Sometimes, the most powerful development models are those rooted in trust, community participation, and shared responsibility.
What started as five goats for one family in rural Zambia is gradually becoming something far larger: a living example of how small ideas can rebuild livelihoods, strengthen resilience, and help communities confront the realities of climate change together.