Enock Siankwilimba, Jacqueline Hiddlestone-Mumford, Md Enamul Hoque, Bernard Mudenda Hang’ombe, Chisoni Mumba, Oliver Jolezya Hasimuna, Sahya Maulu, Joseph Mphande, Gunawan Prayitno
Achieving measurably reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as a key sustainable development goal has often been overshadowed by systemic challenges in the agricultural agribusiness system. Although many studies have examined sustainable agriculture extension services, few have considered the effects of the war in Ukraine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, climate change, debt burdens, and the ongoing impact of COVID-19. To address this gap, a systematic literature review of literature from 2019 to 2023 was undertaken to analyze the effects of climate change, COVID-19, debt burdens, and the conflict in Ukraine on sustainable agriculture development and extension services. The Russian conflicts have significantly disrupted the global agricultural landscape, impacting food supplies, production, and consumption due to distribution constraints. The loss of agricultural and health workers through COVID-19 has compounded the challenges. Studies also highlight rising inflation rates in many nations, driving communities further into debt, hunger, and poverty, with a noted 5.6% increase in worldwide debt due to COVID-19 alone, and an estimated 9.2% of the world going hungry in 2022. These disruptions have worsened existing agricultural challenges in developing countries such as a decline of 61% in pollinator numbers due to temperature rises caused by climate change, and a loss of 4.1 million hectares of tropical primary forest in 2022, releasing 2.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. In response to these complex challenges, leadership that fosters collaboration among stakeholders through private and public dialogue is crucial. This study examines sustainable agricultural development and resilient extension services amid global systemic challenges. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Graduate School of Business, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; School of Management, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; School of Management, Ducere Global Business School, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Dhaka, Bangladesh; Microbiology Unit, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals (ACEIDHA), Lusaka, Zambia; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; Department of Fisheries, National Aquaculture Research and Development Centre, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Kitwe, Zambia; Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom; Department of Agriculture and Aquatic Sciences, Kapasa Makasa University, Chinsali, Zambia; Department of Research and Evaluation, Centre for Innovative Approach Zambia (CIAZ), Lusaka, Zambia; School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom; Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ndola, Zambia; Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom; Regional and Urban Planning Department, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia
