Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, [email protected]
THE International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has called for re-positioning irrigation schemes as rural bio-economy hubs to enhance circular food systems in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Irrigation schemes are vital systems that ensure food security, combating climate change and driving economic development, particularly in drought-prone regions, while circular food systems are regenerative models that eliminate waste and pollution by keeping food and resources in continuous use.
Speaking at the 2026 Regional Circular Food Systems Policy Dialogue in Bulawayo, ICRISAT Zimbabwe country representative who is also the farming and systems analysis principal scientist, Dr Martin Moyo said as policy direction, re-positioning irrigation schemes was critical.
“So what should be done? The evidence from Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique, together with broader African policy processes, points to several enabling conditions that deserve policy attention.
“First, we need to re-position irrigation schemes as rural bio-economy hubs rather than treating them only as production infrastructure. If schemes are seen as places where water, biomass, labour, energy, enterprise and services co-locate, then it becomes easier to justify integrated investments in agro-ecology, small-scale processing, renewable energy and logistics around them,” he said.
He said this was a significant shift in mindset, but it was one that can unlock wider development benefits from infrastructure that already exists.
Dr Moyo said there was need for stronger governance and coordination mechanisms.
“Circular food systems require action across irrigation, livestock, agribusiness, environment, local government, youth, gender, energy and finance. Agricultural innovation platforms have shown value in helping local actors co-design responses, negotiate trade-offs and organise around shared opportunities,” he added.
“There is a strong case for institutionalising such platforms, or similar mechanisms, within extension and local development systems. Finance must move much closer to the realities of circular enterprises. The project found that many promising MSMEs are too young for conventional lending, yet too ambitious for one-off grants.”
He said financiers often require registration, formal accounts, bank records and several years of profitable transactions before lending, which many early-stage rural enterprises cannot yet provide.
Dr Moyo said yet the project also created a transparent readiness roadmap and a ladder of financial opportunity, beginning with families, local savings groups, NGOs and local governments and pointing toward later bankability.
“This suggests the need for tailored instruments such as guarantee facilities, blended finance, concessional windows, adapted repayment schedules and lending models that better recognise reduced input dependence and strong local demand.”
He said inclusion must remain central, as policies should support women’s and youth participation not only through broad rhetoric, but through explicit targets, skills development, mentorship, finance and support for business types that do not depend on formal land ownership.
Dr Moyo said non-land-based enterprises such as input production, processing, mechanised services, nurseries, logistics and digital services can be especially important entry points.
He said: “Policies should also protect biomass access rights for poorer households as residues become monetised, including through community agreements and local governance arrangements brokered through AIPs or similar platforms.”
Dr Moyo called for monitoring and evidence systems to be strengthened to build a multi-metric approach linking water productivity, land efficiency, soil health, emissions, income, employment and inclusion.
He said if circular food systems are to move beyond pilot language, governments and regional bodies will need practical frameworks for tracking these outcomes and using them in policy review and investment decisions.
