<p>This study was designed to analyze drivers of dry common beans trade in Lusaka, Zambia. Specifically, the study analyzed the effect of common bean grain characteristics on bean market price. Data was collected using structured questionnaires from 225 traders stationed in three markets namely: Soweto, Chilenje and Mtendere.</p>Using hedonic pricing, the findings reveal that medium sized grain was an important characteristic which significantly affected the pricing of common bean. For instance, it was observed that medium grain size fetched ZMW1.266 per kilogram (kg) and ZMW 1.042 per kg more than grains of smaller size in the pooled and Soweto market sample, respectively. It was further revealed that yellow, yellow and white color significantly affected the bean price received by traders. Other factors which significantly affected the pricing of beans included age of the trader, being a retail trader and trading at Chilenje market. Given these findings, common bean breeders need to include traders and consumers as important actors whose knowledge can make resourceful impact in varietal development. Furthermore, interventions by policy makers that respond to the social economic needs of traders is recommended to improve bean trade.

This study uses data on 2585 households from the 2010 living conditions monitoring survey (LCMS) and a double-hurdle model to identify factors that affect household decisions on the level of beef expenditure among Lusaka residents. The results confirm that rural households make expenditure decisions that are significantly different from urban households. The results also reveal that factors such as income, size of the household, price of beef, price of chicken and education level of the household head are important determinants that influence both the decision to purchase beef and the level of beef expenditure. Thus, policy design needs to recognize these factors. Policies that aim to target urban households, for example, could increase beef consumption.