September BNNB Reveals Marginal Reduction in Cost, But Increase in Food Prices Continued Hardship for Lusaka Families

MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2025, LUSAKA – The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) today released its Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB) findings for September 2025. The BNNB, which serves as a vital measure of the minimum standard required to uphold the Dignity of the Human Person, revealed a marginal decrease in the total cost for a family of five in Lusaka. The total BNNB reduced by ZMW 142.19, falling from ZMW 11,432.17 in August 2025 to ZMW 11,289.98 in September 2025.

Decrease Driven by Non-Food Essentials

The overall reduction was primarily driven by a significant fall in the cost of essential non-food items. The non-food subtotal saw a considerable drop of ZMW 154.69. This movement was largely attributable to a substantial decrease in the cost of charcoal (quantity of 180kg), which saw a reduction of ZMW 173.32, indicating a potential improvement in supply or seasonal easing of demand pressure on this essential energy source.

Food Basket Rises Amidst Protein Price Increases

Crucially, despite the overall marginal decrease in the total Basket, the Food Basket subtotal registered a slight increase of ZMW 12.50, moving from ZMW 4,905.44 to ZMW 4,917.94. This increase was fuelled by sharp spikes in key protein sources. The price of Kapenta (4kg) saw a massive surge, increasing by ZMW 147.35. Additionally, beef (2kg) and beans (4kg) also experienced notable increases, placing immense pressure on a family’s ability to secure adequate and balanced nutrition. These volatile rises were partially offset by favourable price movements in other key food items. The cost of essential Vegetables (40kg) recorded a significant drop of ZMW 220.08, along with decreases in the price of tomatoes (16kg) and rice (4kg).

Policy Imperatives: Upholding Human Dignity and the Call to Action

The JCTR asserts that the continued high cost of basic survival, remaining above ZMW 11,200, is a profound concern and a challenge to the Preferential Option for the Poor. To ensure that this September’s marginal reduction can be sustained and broadened for all citizens, the JCTR proposes targeted interventions rooted in the principle of Solidarity:

1. Focus on Farmers for the upcoming Farming Season:
   • Input Timeliness and Storage: Prioritise the timely and decentralised distribution of subsidized inputs (seed, fertiliser) as the rain season commences. This must be coupled with investment in community-level post-harvest storage and silos to drastically minimize pre- and post-harvest losses, thereby stabilizing future supply and prices.
   • Climate Resilience: Support small-scale farmers with access to weather-indexed crop insurance and climate-resilient farming techniques to secure their livelihoods against volatile weather patterns.

2. Targeting Vulnerable Families:
   • Energy Alternatives: Subsidise clean and affordable energy alternatives to charcoal for vulnerable households, thereby easing the energy burden and protecting natural resources, a core element of Stewardship of Creation.
   • Social Protection Expansion: JCTR commends the government for maintaining the increased transfer value which was being paid under drought emergency cash transfer as well as the planned increase of household beneficiaries in 2026, equally under Food Security Packs. In this regard government must have a long-term plan to expand and indexing social protection grants (e.g., Conditional Cash Transfers) to the actual cost of the Food Basket or poverty line, ensuring payments maintain real value and provide a protective floor against nutritional poverty.

3. Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs):
   • Supply Chain Finance: Introduce targeted, low-interest working capital facilities for SMEs involved in food processing, transport, and cold-chain logistics. Reducing capital costs for these essential actors will directly translate into lower consumer prices. This can be achieved by government quickly resolving the design shortcomings that have led to the suspension of the CDF loam component.
   • Market Infrastructure: Invest in reliable, state-of-the-art cold-chain infrastructure for peri-urban markets to reduce spoilage, especially for high-value proteins like meat and fish, thereby ensuring market efficiency and price stability. This will complement the FRA the advanced maize dryers that the Food Reserve Agency has deployed to reduce post-harvest losses and procurement of high-quality maize from farmers.

The JCTR calls on all actors, government, private sector, and civil society to work in solidarity to implement these measures and ensure that every Zambian family can live a life commensurate with fundamental human dignity.

Issued by: Edward Musosa – Social and Economic Development Programme Manager

For further clarifications, contact the Social and Economic Development (SED) Programme at the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) on 0955290410, or email info@jctr.org.zm and admin@jctr.org.zm. Address: Martin Mwamba Road, Plot 3813, Olympia Park, Lusaka. Postal: P.O. Box 37774, Lusaka – Zambia.