Zambian National Conservation Compliance Assessment for COMACO
Partners
I had the privilege of joining COMACO's Chipata office during my time with Peace Corps Zambia. During my time there, I was embedded as a digital support resource for the organization's data, communications, and conservation programming.
COMACO works at the intersection of smallholder agriculture, market access, and wildlife protection, and, at the time, they needed someone who could document and communicate field data to a larger audience. Working out of Chipata in Eastern Provine put me much closer to both the farming communities and government ministries that COMACO depended on for pulling their compliance data related to wildlife conservation. I helped collect that data, synthesize it, and build charts, graphs, and reports that communicated its importance.
Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) is a Zambian nonprofit operating in the Luangwa Valley and surrounding districts. It works with tens of thousands of smallholder farmers, providing training in sustainable agriculture and access to premium markets through its It's Wild! brand. COMACO's model ties agricultural pricing to environmental compliance — rewarding communities that protect forests and wildlife with better income.