An Australian journalist, Caroline Winter, was recently awarded the “Best Radio Story-award” for a piece on Zambia at the South Australian Press Club Awards.

Winter, former executive producer and presenter at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC), produced the winning piece, named “Does Zambia have what it takes to become the food bowl of Africa?” for the ABC’s Rural radio station, South Australian Country Hour.

Caroline compiled the piece after a trip to rural areas in Zambia, where she was selected by Rural Media South Australia and the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists to participate in an international professional development study tour hosted by the International Federation of Agricultural journalists.

Food bowl of Africa

In her piece, Winter investigates the hurdles Zambia has to overcome to become the food producing hub in Africa, and if the country has what it takes to do so.

“It offers large expanses of arable land and an abundance of water, but bringing farming into the 21st century and dealing with poverty remain massive hurdles.”

“There is no doubt Zambia has a long way to go to pull itself out of poverty and feed the world.”

Her conclusion however is that although these hurdles might be steep, the country holds the potential to do so.

“But with the right leadership from above and passion and belief from within, the dream of this nation and its future farmers are not out of reach.”

Click here for the original article and radio interview.