Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
COMMUNITIES in Matabeleland Provinces are set to benefit from improved resilience and adaptation to climate change effects after the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) has started rolling out the Circular Food Systems project that aims to ensure that farmers keep climate relevant livestock, produce their own feed as well as capacitate them to grow their own seed.
Matabeleland region which falls under agro-ecological Region 4 and 5 characterised by severe dry spells and frequent seasonal droughts, has not been spared from the effects of climate change.
Responding to questions from the Sunday News, Icrisat Zimbabwe country representative who is also the farming and systems analysis principal scientist, Dr Martin Moyo said the Circular Food Systems project was building upon a former project that revived smallholder irrigation schemes.
“Building upon work on Transforming Irrigation in Southern Africa project that was supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) that rebooted smallholder irrigation schemes into efficient agricultural systems generating many community benefits, Icrisat is implementing a Circular Food Systems project in Zimbabwe.
“This project is also supported by the ACIAR. While in its infancy and working with communities across Matabeleland North and South provinces, we are exploring how the integration of livestock, dryland agriculture and irrigated agriculture (with the incorporation of the stimulation of local economies and circularity through by-products integration) lead to better climate change adaptation benefits,” he said.
He said they were also researching on how the strategic development and integration of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) could form more sustainable, resource efficient and climate smart circular food systems which can benefit household livelihoods and value chain performance.
Dr Moyo said the project was using agricultural innovation platforms (AIPs), to build a mutual understanding of the basics of circularity including creating jobs for the youth and women in value-adding locally and facilitating the integration and inclusive co-design of local SMMEs and associated value chains.
Among other key projects they were rolling out in the country, he said Icrisat has developed climate-resilient dryland crops and a pool of climate-smart technologies that are used in all of its climate-smart project interventions.
“Icrisat in Zimbabwe does provide technical backstopping and support to a number of smallholder communities across 12 districts in semi-arid Zimbabwe, including in Mutare Rural, Buhera, Chivi, Zaka, Lupane, Hwange, Binga, Matobo, Insiza and the support aims to equip smallholder farmers to use climate-smart scientific interventions to make agriculture more profitable and sustainable.”
Dr Moyo said the climate-smart agriculture approaches were focused on equipping farmers to use climate-smart scientific interventions and innovations, use climate information for cropping decisions, diversify livelihoods, link to markets and make agriculture profitable among others.
He said the approaches also assist farmers rehabilitate and restore their environment and influence policymakers.
“Some of the key technologies include efforts in reducing constraints affecting production and utilisation of sorghum and millet through community seed multiplication and capacity development, especially in the face of climate change and variability.
“Community seed multiplication has been shown to contribute to increased agricultural production through availability of high-yield seed varieties to farmers. Under this effort, communities have been capacitated to grow their own seed,” he added.
Dr Moyo said climate-relevant livestock production practices such as fodder management and conservation, water harvesting, and manure management have also been identified as solutions to increasing productivity.
He said they were supporting some projects on animal health management and improved feed, including fodder preservation as they are key to enhancing resilience livestock productivity.
Dr Moyo said: “Icrisat is currently working on a number of initiatives within Zimbabwe, supporting the Government of Zimbabwe’s aspirations towards Vision 2030. Icrisat specifically works with the Government of Zimbabwe and development partners within the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) that seeks to increase food self-sufficiency and reduce food insecurity.”
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