ABSTRACT

There is a notable increase in the number of references to the ambiguous status of staples. M. Wright discussion of the ambiguous status of maize applies to Zambia as whole, but other food items too have become affected by status ambiguity. What has yet to emerge in the literature on Zambia, and must be given priority in future research, is an assessment of the scale on which the noted 'ambiguities' apply. All future research on labour and diet must address the full implications that arise from the ambiguous status of foodstuffs essential to the diet. A related concern is the effect bad timing has upon the maturation of hybrid crops. Research in rural Zambia has already exposed the increased labour demands that come with hybrid cropping, especially in the context of settlement projects. Future researchers will need to pay more attention to the intimate link between timing and yields, and especially in the case of peasant households that produce hybrids.