Effects of climate-induced drought on livestock production and market dynamics in Mazabuka District of Zambia

Livestock production is a central pillar of Zambia’s food system, contributing to food security, incomes, and rural livelihoods. However, increasing frequency and intensity of climate-induced droughts pose significant risks to livestock productivity, market stability, and household resilience. This study examined the effects of climate-induced drought on livestock production outcomes, market dynamics, and farmer adaptation responses in Mazabuka District, Zambia, using a climate-smart food systems perspective. Data were collected from 95 randomly selected livestock farmers through semi-structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression in SPSS Statistics Version 29 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), at a 0.05 significance level. The findings indicated that drought impacts were primarily manifested through water scarcity, reduced grazing availability, increased disease incidence, and declines in dairy production. Regression analysis identified livestock diseases, mortality, and reduced productivity as key predictors of farmers’ perceived severity of drought impacts. Market effects were pronounced, with 96% of farmers associating poor animal body condition with declining livestock prices, highlighting strong production–market linkages within the local food system. Coping strategies were largely reactive, dominated by herd reduction and seasonal migration in search of grazing resources. Farmers expressed strong demand for systemic support, particularly training in climate-smart livestock practices, subsidised feed and water interventions, and livestock insurance schemes. These results underscore the need for integrated policy responses that strengthen climate resilience across production, animal health, and market subsystems. Aligning livestock development strategies with climate-smart agriculture principles, social protection mechanisms, and inclusive market policies is essential for advancing Sustainable Development Goals related to zero hunger, poverty reduction, and climate action in drought-prone regions of Southern Africa. Future research should prioritise longitudinal and experimental approaches to quantitatively assess the effectiveness, economic feasibility, and sustainability of climate-smart livestock adaptation strategies under varying drought intensities such as strengthening livestock system resilience. This requires integrated, policy-supported interventions that expand climate-smart livestock training, subsidise drought-responsive feed and water inputs, scale up accessible livestock insurance schemes, and reinforce veterinary and market linkages. Advancing these measures is essential for safeguarding rural livelihoods, stabilising livestock markets, and supporting inclusive, climate-resilient food systems in Zambia.