The current climate crisis continues to inflict excruciating pain on farmers world-wide. However, thanks to indigenous knowledge systems and agroecology, some small-scale farmers are adapting to climate change and improving their livelihoods in the face of the climate crisis.

Obert Gorokoto (63), is one small-scale farmer from drought prone Mwenezi district who has adopted agroecology as a climate change adaptation strategy.

Obert says before adopting agroecology, his family used to struggle to harvest enough food because of the high temperatures, inadequate water and decreased soil fertility. 

“I used to struggle to feed my family because I used to plant maize, which is a high feeder. My land used to have sandy soils which were very salty and unproductive. Climate change made things worse because the weather patterns were unpredictable,” says Obert. 

Obert says when he adopted Agroecology, he also began focusing on growing crops which are drought tolerant.

“I  adopted water harvesting and started using organic manure instead of synthetic fertilisers to boost the health of my soil. I started planting different millet varieties including sorghum, finger millet and pearl millet,” he says. 

Obert says adopting these measures has significantly improved his family’s food security. 

“This improved food security for my family. Where I used to harvest less than a tonne of grain per hectare, I now have above three tonnes of grain,” says Obert. 

Janet Gosa (49) another small-scale farmer from Mwenezi district says adopting Agroecology has also strengthened her family and community’s food security

“Agroecology is an all-encompassing and holistic way of life. For me as a farmer, agroecology came as a godsend because it completely transformed our way of life and improved our agricultural systems. Now productivity and food security in our communities has improved,” says Janet. 

Sethukile Dube (53) an Agricultural Technical Extension (AGRITEX) Officer working with farmers in Mwenezi district implored farmers to adopt farming practices that are in harmony with  the environment and provide a basis for sustainability and food security. 

“I encourage farmers in areas like Mwenezi which are drought prone and the worst affected by climate change to adopt sustainable farming practices. For example, farmers like Obert are using organic manure and mulching to improve soil fertility and water retention capacity of the soil which is proving beneficial because they are producing enough food for their families,” says Sethukile. 

By Mufaro Mupetesi 

Anna (47) and Ernest Musemwa (54) from Chakowa village in ward 8, Mt Darwin are proving that smallholder farmers can produce high yields without the use of environmentally harmful synthetic fertilizers. 

The couple have found success in their farming practices through the use of vermicompost manure. 

 Being part of a group of over 50 farmers trained by Farmers Association of Community self –Help Investment Groups (FACHIG), the Musemwas have become leading innovators and implementers of the vermicomposting technique. 

In the training, small-scale farmers learned how to produce vermicompost manure using red wiggler worms. Their training focused on how to multiply, feed and harvest the worms by providing the most suitable conditions for their survival.

Pushed by the location of their homestead which is on a rocky, sandy and uneven terrain which makes it difficult to successfully grow crops ,the Musemwas took the learning seriously and went back home to apply what they had learnt. 

Ernest says the impact of vermicomposting was instant. Before they began adopting the use of vermicomposts, the average maize harvest on their land was approximately 1.5 to 2.5 tonnes per hectare, but their harvest has since increased to 3.5 tonnes per hectare which has greatly improved their food security. 

Ernest also says the use of vermicompost manure has so improved the quality of soils in his crop field that he has now begun growing a diversity of crops, which he could not do before. 

Anna says vermicompost also has other advantages. She says making vermicompost is not only good for the environment and for improving yields but it is also far much cheaper than other options. She says this is because they use leftovers from the kitchen to feed into the vermicomposts. Moreover, some kitchen leftovers are fed to their indigenous chickens which produce manure and that manure also feeds the vermicomposts. 

The couple says their hope is to increase  production of vermicompost in order to influence the surrounding community, while also aiming to produce enough to also sell. 

Kefasi Tafirenyika (54), a small-scale farmer from Wayerera Village in Bindura district says turning to cold compost has set him free from bondage to the conventional farming system. 

He says years of using synthetic fertilisers damaged his soils to a point where his one-hectare plot could barely support his family’s nutritional needs. 

Stranded in a vicious cycle where in order to harvest anything he had no choice but to keep applying the same synthetic fertilisers which were damaging his soils, Kefasi was desperate. 

“I used to rely heavily on synthetic fertilisers which cost me more money and damaged my soil to the extent that my soil could no longer sustain or produce any meaningful harvests. Year after year I had to buy more and more fertilisers,” says Kefasi.

Kefasi says he became helpless as he struggled to balance between finding money for his family’s basic needs and trying to buy inputs for farming. 

“I felt helpless and hopeless. I had to balance between buying more inputs for my fields and providing for my family,” says Kefasi.  

However, as luck would have it, Kefasi found himself in Agroecology trainings which were being conducted by PELUM Zimbabwe member, Farmers Association of Community self-Help Investments Groups (FACHIG) in Bindura.  

The trainings focused on making cold composts to rejuvenate soil health, the very thing  Kefasi needed.

“Five years ago I started attending trainings on soil fertility management from FACHIG. The fertility of my soil had been bad because of years and years of industrial agriculture and use of synthetic chemicals which is why I started using cold compost manures in order to rejuvenate my crop fields,” says Kefasi. 

Kefasi says following the training he immediately dropped synthetic fertilisers and began applying cold compost to his plot.

“After adopting cold composts, my agricultural output has improved. I now produce sufficient food for my family and I’m able to sell excess produce. The quality of my soil has also improved,” he says. 

“I use all organic matter from my field to make these cold composts. All vegetation, and residue from my fields are composted in pits that I dig in this field. After two weeks, the composts will have matured and I then use the manure from the composts to feed my crops,” adds Kefasi

Kefasi also says producing his crops using cold compost has helped him diversify his market gardening which has helped him improve his family’s nutrition and income. 

“Currently I have tomatoes, peas, green beans and some sweet potatoes which I am growing using organic manure. My tomato plants are close to harvesting and I estimate that I will get at least one dollar per plant per week out of the 800 plants that I have currently,” he says. 

Kefasi says managing the soil fertility of his depleted soils has helped him achieve food self-sufficiency from his market gardening. 

Sethukile Dube (53) an Agricultural Technical Extension (AGRITEX) Officer says using organic fertiliser is beneficial to small-scale farmers who might be struggling with the fertility of their soils. 

“Using organic fertilisers has many benefits for farmers. It can be a cost cutting measure as well as a mechanism for managing the health of the soil as well as improve crop productivity,” says Sethukile. 
“I encourage all farmers to adopt using organic fertilisers as this helps in restoring soil health,” adds Amina Chiwocha (45) another small-scale farmer from Chingwaru village in Bindura.

Small-scale farmers practising Agroecology in Mwenezi district have emerged from the El Niño marred 2023/2024 farming season unscathed.

Simbisai Machava (65) is one of the small-scale farmers working with PELUM Zimbabwe member, Mwenezi Development Training Centre (MDTC) in Mwenezi. She says despite the devastating impacts of the El Niño induced drought to most farmers all over the country, farmers like her who have been practising agroecology still managed to harvest adequate food to last until the next harvest.

“I, like other farmers who have been practising agroecology, have not suffered as much as farmers practising conventional agriculture. Farmers like me have been able to reap a better harvest from the various agroecology activities we have done,” says Simbisai.

Simbisai adds that techniques such as water harvesting, mulching and planting traditional seeds have had a positive effect on her harvests despite the unfavourable rains.

“Because I adopted rainwater harvesting through digging swells and infiltration pits, I was able to salvage the little water that we received. I also preserved the little water we got by intercropping my traditional grains with live mulch which helped increase the water retention capacity of my soil,” says Simbisai.  

Lloyd Ruvengo (33) another small-scale farmer from Mwenezi says he focused on growing Barnyard Millet (Svoboda).

“Svoboda is a real blessing for me. I have been testing and observing its qualities and I am satisfied with it. It’s adaptable to our dry conditions and ability to keep producing even when the rains are little. It’s a sustainable and resilient crop that helped me ensure my family’s food security,” he says.

Lloyd says the effects of El Niño on his crops have been minimal because of the resilience of svoboda.

“Through my exploits with svoboda, I have found that the crop is resilient and tolerant to harsh weather conditions. I urge more farmers to utilise our traditional crops,” he says. 

Olliat Mavuramba, (50) a programme officer for PELUM Zimbabwe’s strategic partner, Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers’ Forum (ZIMSOFF) says the diversification of strategies and practices by small-scale farmers was a critical factor in ensuring the resilience of Agroecology farmers to the drought.

“Through in-depth trainings on agroecology, seed saving and food sovereignty,  agroecology farmers are continually practising and sharing knowledge and learning which is improving their capabilities to stand a better chance of surviving droughts,” says Olliat.

Small-scale farmers working with PELUM Zimbabwe member, Igugu Trust in Hwange district are realising environmental transformation and food self-sufficiency after adopting Holistic Land and Livestock Management (HLLM) practices. 

Mbuso Nyathi (58), from Ndhlovu Village is one of these farmers and says HLLM came at an opportune time when the Ndhlovu community was in a sorry state.

“Before we began holistic and planned grazing, our community did not have adequate pastures for our livestock. We also faced soil infertility which led to food insecurity as our crops failed each season,” he says. 

Mbuso adds that after HLLM was adopted, these problems started to disappear. 

“After adopting HLLM, most of these problems relating to soil infertility and depleted pastures started to become less and less,” says Mbuso.   

The adoption of HLLM addressed the challenges that the community was facing in food production and environmental sustainability but it also helped the community to begin to work together to deal with other social issues.

“After Igugu Trust introduced us to holistic and planned grazing, our yield improved and our rangelands have more ground cover. Crop field impaction has helped improve the quality of our soil. Our crops fields are now more productive than ever,” says Rita Kanyemba (50) one of the farmers from Ndhlovu Village

“Before adopting planned grazing, community members rarely herded cattle collectively. Now our pastures have improved and our livestock are becoming more and more manageable,” she adds.

Gift Maodzeka (23), the Community Liaison Officer for Igugu Trust in Hwange District says the Ndhlovu community has indeed reaped many benefits from adopting HLLM practices.

“We have been working with communities in Hwange district since 2019. There has been increased productivity in the fields. Food security in the communities has improved because of increased soil fertility and soil water retention as a result of animal action on the rangelands. We are also witnessing less human-wildlife conflicts as holistic management is improving daily,” says Gift.

Mbuso says due to the nature of HLLM in bringing together the whole community,  building resilience has been easier because the whole community is working together.

“Working together as a community has helped our community build resilience. We are collaborating and impacting fields through this programme and this is helping our community develop,” says Mbuso.

Sherry Manjonjori (55) is a small-scale farmer from Chimanimani district who has turned a previously unproductive 200 square meter piece of land into a thriving source of livelihood for her family through Agroecology.

Sherry says she managed to achieve this through working with PELUM Zimbabwe Member, Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organisation (TSURO) Trust. TSURO Trust trained her and other farmers in making and utilising biofertilisers which promote rejuvenation of soil fertility through natural processes that restore nutrients into the soil. 

“Through TSURO Trust, I managed to get trained on biofertilizer making which enabled me to make biofertilisers which I have been applying to my soil for the past three years,” says Sherry.

Sherry says applying  biofertilisers on the poor soils has greatly enhanced her harvest.

“The soil in our gardens used to be very unproductive as it lacked critical nutrients. We used to do very limited agriculture because our soils were sandy, salty and rocky which worsened because of climate change. I used to get very little maize in my garden. After I started applying biofertiliser, I started to get better maize harvests,” says Sherry.

Seeing the improvement in her maize harvests, Sherry says she then diversified her crops to include vegetables and legumes, enhancing her family’s nutrition. 

“Because of increased soil fertility, I then started experimenting with other vegetables and legumes which previously performed very poorly and managed to succeed,” says Sherry. 

Sherry is just one of many farmers who have successfully rejuvenated the fertility of their soils using Agroecology. Donewell Madondo (51) has lived in Chimanimani since 1994 and like Sherry, he also struggled with unproductive land when he first moved to Chimanimani.

“When I moved to this place, the land was barren. I was wise enough to start working with TSURO Trust which trained me on agroecology. As a result of my interventions throughout the years, I am able to produce enough food for my family and even surplus which I sell to supplement my family’s financial needs. I do not worry about the effects of climate change as they are minimal to my crops,” says Donewell.

Sithulekile Dube (53) an Agricultural Technical Extension (AGRITEX) Officer says more farmers should adopt Agroecology in order to ensure enhanced and sustainable soil fertility in the face of climate change.

“Being an AGRITEX officer helped me to better understand the environments that farmers work in. Climate change has not been lenient on farmers who have struggled with soil fertility and unproductive soils. I encourage more farmers to take up agroecology in order to boost sustainable production,” she says.

As a result of the hostile takeover of food sovereignty systems by profit seeking entities, farmers have been stripped of their indigenous farming systems which sustained them, and have been tricked into the captivity of the vicious conventional farming system. This has left farmers vulnerable to climate change, ill health and numerous other social, economic and environmental problems. 

PELUM Zimbabwe and its strategic partners are working to empower farmers to take back control of their food sovereignty by facilitating platforms for participatory knowledge sharing and creation. 

Peter Mudzingwa (29), a youth small-scale farmer working with PELUM Zimbabwe partner, Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers’ Forum (ZIMSOFF) says these platforms have been instrumental in enhancing productivity.

“We are learning a lot from these exchange visits. These visits enable us to share our experiences with other people from other places. Only a few years ago our land used to be unproductive due to lack of knowledge sharing. Right now, we can see tangible changes where there used to be no productivity because of knowledge creation and sharing through exchange visits and trainings,” says Peter.

Where people used to starve they now have abundance.  We are able to produce enough food and surplus as well as take care of the environment better,” adds Peter. 

Peter made these remarks during a PELUM Zimbabwe coordinated learning and exchange visit held at the Shashe School of Agroecology from 20 to 21 February where 54 participants from various districts attended.

Chomu Nechikwira (41), a project officer with PELUM Zimbabwe member, Mwenezi Development Training Center (MDTC) who also participated in the learning visit says learning and exchange visits are a valuable component for development work.

“The work that Agroecological centers are doing has been increasing knowledge and practice of agroecology. There has been transformative work around agroecology ever since the movement began gaining ground,” he says.

Nelson Mudzingwa (54), National Coordinator for ZIMSOFF and a founding father of the Shashe Agroecology School says farmer-led initiatives are the key to successful adoption of agroecology and learning and exchange visits give opportunities for farmers to learn from each other.

“The idea behind the centres of excellence is to give farmers first-hand information  so as to give them the capacity and practical knowledge on agroecology.  It is also important to reaffirm the need for communities to have control over their own food systems and the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food,” says Nelson.

Farmers working with PELUM Zimbabwe member, Chinyika Community Development Trust (CCDT) in the Chinyika community under Chief Chitsa in Gutu district, are basking in the glory of attaining self-sufficiency through adopting holistic land and livestock management.

David Zivanai (52), a farmer from Jokoro Village in ward 10 says before being trained on Holistic Land and Livestock Management (HLLM), he struggled to grow adequate food and to find pastures for his livestock because of depleted soil fertility which led to fewer and fewer pastures each year. 

“Before I got training on HLLM, my croplands had low fertility. This was also common for most of our pasturelands as well, which became fewer and fewer each year because of overgrazing. This led to us struggling  to find viable pastures for our herd,” says David. 

David says now that he has been trained on HLLM, he sees a better future for him, his family, community and  livestock because soil fertility has improved and there are better pastures for his animals.

“After I started implementing what I had learnt on HLLM, I found that there was better water retention in my soil. The soil fertility improved and this has given us improved croplands and pasturelands. Food security in our community has also improved and we are no longer dependent on synthetic chemicals that poison our soils,” he says. 

Speaking at one such HLLM training held from 25 to 27 March 2024 in partnership with 3 PELUM Zimbabwe Members; Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organization (TSURO) Trust, Chinyika Community Development Trust, and Africa Centre for Holistic Management, Kumikidzai Diza (42), the Agricultural Technical Extension (AGRITEX) Officer working in Gutu district says HLLM has helped to address the community’s pressing challenges.

“We are grateful for these trainings because they help capacitate our farmers by giving them knowledge on sustainable farming practices that help promote productivity and sustainable agriculture. The HLLM concept has helped solve many problems in this community,” she says. 

Shendi Munsaka (40), an HLLM training facilitator for PELUM Zimbabwe member, Africa Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM) says farmers should learn more about land rehabilitation and yearn to get more knowledge on natural resource management. 

“Farmers should strive to get more knowledge on holistic management because of the vast benefits it has. If all farmers implemented what they learn, there would be viable environments and food security,” says Shendi.

David says he plans on attending more trainings to increase his knowledge on agroecology and improve soil fertility.

“I hope to learn more about soil fertility through similar platforms. I would like all farmers to adopt such mechanisms for there to be sustainability,” he says.

Unganai Murwisi (52), a father of four and small-scale farmer from Mushumbi in Mbire district in the northern valleys of Zimbabwe has defied the odds by producing surplus grain despite the El Niño induced drought that affected the 2023/2024 farming season.  

“This year was a tough year for most farmers because there was very little rainfall, many crops wilted and died due to the dry and hot conditions. However, I managed to produce enough food for my family and was left with surplus grain for future use,” says Unganai.

“I was able to harvest over six tonnes of traditional grain, compared to last year where I had less than 3 tonnes. Although my maize did not do very well, I managed to salvage 2 tonnes of maize. Despite the poor rains, I harvested pearl millet and maize as well as groundnuts and some bambara nuts,” he adds. 

Unganai credits his success to adopting agroecological practices.

“I credit my farming success to the trainings on agroecology that we receive from Bio-Hub Trust and farmer-to-farmer interactions which allow for knowledge sharing among farmers from different regions,” says Unganai. 

“Before I started practising agroecology, I used to rely heavily on conventional agricultural methods which proved costly and detrimental to the environment. The harvests kept on deteriorating annually and my fields required more and more chemical inputs with less and less harvests annually. Through interacting with Bio-Hub Trust, I started receiving trainings which have capacitated me on sustainable farming which has boosted my crop output,” he adds. 

Kumikidzai Diza, (42), an Agricultural Technical Extension (AGRITEX) Officer says farmers should normalise planting traditional grains as a climate adaptation mechanism. 

“As an agronomist, I would encourage farmers to grow drought tolerant crops in order for them to realise sustainability in agriculture. Farmers should share knowledge, adopt holistic agricultural practices and participate in agroecology trainings in order to tap into the vast wealth of knowledge there is, for them to protect themselves from climate change shocks,” says Kumikidzai. 

Munyika Pachavo (48), another agroecology farmer from Shurugwi says agroecology trainings are critical in the struggle for food sovereignty in the face of climate change.

“I have found that agroecology trainings are an effective tool to help farmers realise agricultural success. I used to rely on conventional farming but ever since I began attending agroecology trainings, I have become food secure and self-sufficient,” says Munyika.

Unganai adds that he encourages farmers to go back to traditional farming methods of growing traditional grains in order to combat the effects of climate change. 

By Callisto Nhamo

Silas Moyo (34), a father of two who also lives with four extended family members says fish-farming working in synergy with poultry farming and gardening have enabled him to support his family’s financial and nutritional needs.

He says before he understood Agroecology and the concept of synergies, he struggled to provide sustainable income and food for his family.

Silas says it was the support of PELUM Zimbabwe member, Schools and Colleges Permaculture (SCOPE) Zimbabwe, that brought relief to his family.  Working with SCOPE Zimbabwe he turned his one-hectare plot into a functional agroecological system that ensures synergy among the different elements of the system. 

“I have an organic garden where l produce horticultural products. I use the water from the fish ponds to water my crops and this provides proper nutrition for my plants and conserves water. The garden requires composting so I use chicken droppings to make a fertile compost for my crops,” says Silas.

Silas says ensuring that the elements of his system have synergy has strengthened the food, nutrition and income security of his family. He boasts that he started with 1 fishpond in October 2021 and now he has 4 ponds which have Tilapia fish. On average he earns USD400 in profits per pond after harvesting.

“As a father of two living with four other members of the extended family, l am under pressure to earn money so that l am able to buy my children some basic needs. Fish farming has helped me to generate income and I am happy that I am contributing towards the welfare of my family,” says Silas.

Chipo Nyamukungwa (24) the Programme Officer for SCOPE Zimbabwe says the goal of the work that her organisation is doing with farmers in ward 11 where Silas resides is to alleviate hunger.

“We are providing training to smallholder farmers like Silas so that they are able to produce food for their families. Our motto in the work we are promoting is, ‘grow your own, cook your own and eat your own,” says Chipo.

Ngonidzashe Gumbo (45) ward 11 Councillor says his ward is in one of the drought prone areas in Bikita and agroecology is contributing to the wellbeing of the community.

“I am glad to see that Silas and other farmers are partaking in different agroecological activities that are helping to alleviate food shortages in my ward. Their efforts are helping in creating healthy ecosystems in our community,” says Ngonidzashe.