Japan helps boost community resilience in Zimbabwe’s rural areas

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has rolled out resilience-building activities with the support of the Government of Japan to boost food security and improve the livelihoods of nearly 9,000 people in Chiredzi district, in southern Zimbabwe. The funding, a US$ 900,000 contribution coming at a critical time, will help WFP to provide food…

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First Lady’s educational empowerment programme gave me eyes: Granny

Writes Elvis Dumba  Zvimba – The various initiatives by The First Lady Dr. Auxilia Mnangagwa has been described as empowerment game changer for disadvantaged citizens. A 66-year-old granny Elizabeth Chidakwa said the program has offered her wings and eyes to improve her agriculture activities. The small-scale agriculture enthusiastic granny said the short agriculture training has…

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Food safety risks in developing countries’ informal sector tackled in new report

The report was produced by Spencer Henson, Steven Jaffee, and Shuo Wang  More sticks, fewer carrots: New directions for tackling food safety risks Key messages Despite ongoing structural changes, small-scale processors, grocers, market vendors, and food service operators dominate the food systems of most low- and lower-middle-income countries; Unsafe food is widespread in informal food…

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Zimbabwe gears up for carbon trading

Writes Elvis Dumba Harare – As the world continues to grapple with the effects of climate change-induced weather pattern challenges, Zimbabwe has joined the carbon trading sector as it gears up its efforts in mitigating the phenomenon. Zimbabwe recently developed and adopted a national carbon credit framework that is expected to guide businesses, benefit communities,…

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Government committed to the maintenance of macro-economic stability

The Government remains committed to the maintenance of macroeconomic stability, preservation of the purchasing power of the Zimbabwe dollar, and restoration of trust and confidence in the economy. This emerged at the high-level dialogue meeting on the economy that officially opened by Dr. Misheck Sibanda, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet and NECF…

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USAID and WFP Help 66 000 Hunger-Stricken Zimbabweans

Writes Evans Muranganwa Humanitarian agency, World Food Programme has received US$8.7 million for its 2023 Food for Assets programme from the United States government through USAID. Speaking at the handover ceremony, USAID acting mission director Mr. Ramses Gauthier said the donation will help food-insecure households in Rushinga, Masvingo, Kariba, Mwenezi and Zvishavane. “I  am honoured…

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Zvishavane women call for participation in extractive sector

By Tatenda Muchadenyika Women in Zvishavane have called upon the government and the extractive sector to recognise and facilitate rural women’s meaningful beneficiation from local resources so as to leave no one behind as espoused in Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy (NDS1). The call was made at a local workshop organised by WCoZ to…

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AUDA-NEPAD spearheading genome editing to optimise agricultural production

The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) through its Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, and Innovation is running the Genome Editing (GEd) project meant to foster a broader understanding of modern biotechnology focusing on GEd among different stakeholder groups through communication and advocacy for enhanced uptake of the tool to optimize agriculture in Africa. This…

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Food systems are broader than value chains – thanks to African mass markets

By Charles Dhewa While there is a tendency for policymakers to conflate food systems with value chains, mass food markets reveal how food systems are broader than value chains. That distinction is very important in clarifying and creating pathways for decolonizing food systems. Putting African mass food markets at the center of food systems demonstrates…

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Mozambique delegation impressed by Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector

By Elvis Dumba A delegation from Mozambique that was part of Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi’s three-day state visit to Zimbabwe said they have been impressed by the country’s agriculture sector and seek to strengthen areas of cooperation in the sector to allow their country to become food secure. The delegation visited Nyathi Imhenyu Farm in…

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WFP supports government’s e-extension services

… as it donates tablets to extension workers By Tafadzwa Muranganwa Realising the immense benefits of digitizing extension services in Zimbabwe, the humanitarian agency, World Food Programme has donated high-end tablets to some government extension workers. Speaking at the official handover of the 635 tablets to the Agricultural Rural Development and Advisory Service (ARDAS) on…

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Workshop provides investment opportunities for women in agriculture and business

As the global world embraces the empowerment of women through the theme ‘Global Innovation’, Zimbabwe Women in Agribusiness in collaboration with the Ministry Of Women Affairs, Community DEVELOPMENT, and Small and Medium Enterprise and Zimbabwe National Chamber of Small to Medium Enterprise is today conducting a workshop under the theme: INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN…

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Beyond traditional surveys – the value of continuous listening to the market

By Charles Dhewa Periodic surveys like crop and livestock assessments have become a common feature in most African agriculture-driven economies. These surveys are often conducted during and after the planting season. While surveys like vulnerability assessments are important, in a changing climate characterized by mid-season droughts and disruptions in market supplies, periodic surveys should be…

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Egypt sets eyes on Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector

By Elvis Dumba Banket – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s engagement and re-engagement efforts are bearing fruits with more countries lining up to invest in the country, including former hostile countries such as the United Kingdom (UK). This was revealed by ZANU PF Spokesperson and Politburo member Christopher Mutsvangwa during a ZANU PF Inter-district meeting for Zvimba…

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Report: Gene-edited crop seed adoption to surge

Adoption of gene-edited crop seeds is expected to increase significantly in the next 5 to 10 years, according to a Rabobank report, with adoption rates expected to surpass 50% during that period. “GE technology has the potential to solve issues across the food supply chain for all stakeholders,” said Chia-Kai-Kang, farm inputs analyst for Rababank….

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Zimbabwe Agriculture Investment Forum interrogates investment opportunities in the sector

Zimbabwe is hosting an Agriculture Investment Forum under the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which is forging stronger partnerships for increased investments to transform agro-food systems. In his remarks at the 3-day workshop that kicked off in Harare today, Dr. Anxious Masuka, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development said the gathering held under the…

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Creating a level playing field for local food and Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Contrary to beliefs by most policymakers in African countries, in the history of mankind, no country has built an inclusive society using external food and foreign knowledge systems. That is why developing countries should make sure foreign forces do not accelerate the loss of local food and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). Progressive actions in this…

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Food systems innovations to lower methane emissions in livestock, waste, and rice cultivation.

Agriculture has been a fundamental aspect of human civilization since ancient times, playing a critical role in providing food and other essential resources necessary for human survival. The sector has been a driver of economic growth, food security and employment for many people, particularly in developing countries, where a significant portion of the population relies…

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US$450 million Mapinga Lithium Salt Plant paves way for a smart city

Elvis Dumba Mapinga – A new smart city is expected for Mapinga to serve the proposed US13 Billion Mine to Energy Industrial Park that will serve a US $450 million Lithium salt plant, which is earmarked for Mapinga The plant will encompass two 300mw thermal power plants, a coking plant, a nickel-chromium alloy smelter, and…

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Increasing smallholder inclusion in markets boosts rural livelihoods

Smallholder farmers have long been considered purely subsistent producers without the capacity to participate in commercial value chains. This has led to their exclusion from many agribusiness enterprises which typically focus on medium- to large-scale growers. Through the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and partners are supporting…

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Enriching Climate Change discourses with indigenous knowledge perspectives

By Charles Dhewa The relationship between climate change and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) can be understood better if discussed from a historical perspective. This approach can show pathways and trends through which indigenous knowledge was an integral driver of how African communities dealt with a changing climate using their knowledge, values, intuitions, and experiences. Historical…

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Agriculture Insurance – a farming success component

By Elvis Dumba Banket – Climate change has affected weather patterns around the world, thereby affecting many sectors, which include agriculture. Tropical cyclones and other climate change-induced weather patterns have contributed to droughts due to lack of rain and excessive rains in different areas with catastrophic consequences in some places where the loss of property…

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Wheat planting season gathers momentum with government targeting 85 000 hectares

By Elvis Dumba Banket – The government has set a target of hectares for wheat production as the country moves towards a wheat self-sufficient economy. Various stakeholders in the agriculture sector said they are geared up for the 2023 wheat season, with farmers being urged to get their agriculture inputs from reputable manufacturers to avoid…

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Zimbabwe farmers reaping bumper harvests by adopting climate change

Recognising climate change as a serious threat to social and economic development, Zimbabwe has been prioritizing adaptation in recent years. In 2015, a National Climate Change Response Strategy was passed. Two years later, the country’s first National Climate Policy was adopted, providing an overarching framework for climate action programming. With UNDP support, a comprehensive National Adaptation…

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Government accelerates efforts to de-risk and climate proof agriculture sector

By Elvis Dumba Mt Darwin – As the country celebrates 43 years of independence, the government has made tremendous strides towards economic development in various sectors such as health, mining, education, and agriculture. President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the country’s own people are responsible for nation-building through peaceful hard work. Speaking during the 43rd Independence celebrations…

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Agricultural sector players ready for 2023-24 farming season

By Elvis Dumba Banket – Various businesses have partnered with the government in the success stories in the agriculture sector with climate-proof agricultural practices – The Pfumvudza/Intwasa geared to improve household food security. The Pfumvudza/Intwasa program has seen the country able to export maize for humanitarian purposes after tonnes of grain were donated to Malawi…

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Government spearheads Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWMP) in Binga

As government spearheads Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWMP) in Binga, there was a site visit to the arid district by the Secretary for Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry Ambassador Raphael Tayerera Faranisi last week. Zimbabwe is a well-endowed country with flora and fauna and it is a sought-after destination because of all that it…

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PAP, FAO collaborate on food security and nutrition in Africa

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) met to appraise the milestones reached as part of their existing collaborative framework. Technical teams from both parties held an engagement on lessons learned, and ways to sustain and amplify the collaboration in new areas of common interest. As a background, PAP and…

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Demystifying sustainability efforts in agriculture

Sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies have been a growing part of business profiles ever since the term ESG originated in 2005. Yet despite its nearly 20-year permeation into commerce culture, the concept of being sustainable or adhering to ESG principles remains a mystery to many organizations. To help provide insight and share…

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Indigenous crops underutilised as climate change threatens food systems

Elizabeth Njoroge recounts her poverty-stricken upbringing in Ting’ang’a village in the Central part of Kenya, growing up on a diet heavy on Amaranth and pumpkin. The 45-year-old speaks about the shame of neighbours finding out the frequency with which her family consumed foods associated with poor and extremely food-insecure households. “Terere (Amaranth) grew just like weed….

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International Year of Millets: Nutritional and health benefits of millets

By Patrice Talla – FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and FAO Representative in Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Lesotho This year we are celebrating the International Year of Millets. The year was endorsed by Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its Governing Bodies and declared at the 75th Session…

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EU-supported dairy cooperative positively impacts community in Goromonzi

Goromonzi – Women empowerment projects that have been supported by the European Union, United Nations agencies, and other partners have progressively impacted communities. A diary project that was established in 1983 in Ward 11, Goromonzi, has economically transformed the community and created employment for hundreds of women. Mercy Mujuru, Chairperson of Chikwaka Kubatana Dairy Cooperative,…

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Narrow extension models are no longer suitable for holistic food systems

By Charles Dhewa Besides being instruction-oriented, conventional extension models were designed to promote a narrow range of hybrid crops and livestock. This has rendered extension services in many African countries unfit for the purpose given that African food systems are too broad and includes wildlife that co-exists with farmers. In most communities, baboons, monkeys, wild…

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Zimbabwe doing well in nutrition advocacy

By Kudakwashe Pembere Stakeholders involved in the advocacy for the improvement of Zimbabwe’s nutrition needs under the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement banner convened in Harare on Friday to validate the country’s progress in the implementation of the global SUN3.0 strategy. In an interview, Food and Nutrition Council Acting Deputy Director Nutrition, Ms. Siboniso Chigova…

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Pan African Parliament working on model law on sustainable soil management

The Pan African Parliament (PAP)’s Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment yesterday held deliberations on contributions from stakeholders on coming up with a model law on soil management. Hon Didier Molisho Sadi led the deliberations at the PAP Precincts in Midrand, South Africa where the legislative body is holding its Permanent Committee…

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Zimbabwe, Germany cooperate on environmental management

Hon Mangaliso Ndlovu, the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry yesterday met with the Secretary of State in the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection, Mr. Stefan Tidow at his offices in Berlin as part of the engagement and re-engagement drive. The Minister was accompanied by the…

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Pan African Parliament tackles food, sports on the continent

The Pan African Parliament (PAP)’s Permanent Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism, and Human Resources has promised to work on promoting African food and eradicating visas for sports teams travelling within the continent. This emerged today during a session chaired by Hon Senator Chief Fortune Z. Charumbira, the President of the PAP that was held under…

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European Investment Bank fund boosts agriculture sector in Zimbabwe

The European Investment Bank (EIB)’s EUR 40 million loan facility for Zimbabwe introduced last year as a pilot project, has emerged as a masterstroke to revive the agricultural sector. Speaking to Spiked Online Media last week, HE Jobst von Kirchmann, the Ambassador of the European Union to Zimbabwe said the EIB is the EU’s lending…

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