WFP seeks to eradicate hunger in Zimbabwe

By Joyce Mukucha The World Food Programme (WFP) is maintaining strong humanitarian assistance capacity through its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) which focuses on supporting long-term national social protection and resilience building efforts to achieve Zero-hunger in Zimbabwe. It is estimated that by 2050, both the risk of hunger and child malnutrition could increase by 20…

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Give one of Mugabe’s 21 farms to Tsvangirai family: ZEFF

The Zimbabwe Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has applauded President Emmerson Mnangagwa for assigning Lands Minister Perence Shiri to identify a farm to give to the late former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s family. “We as a party which stands for economic freedom and for landless people believe that these are correct steps by the new government…

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Collaboration reducing stunting and addressing nutritional challenges in Mutasa

By Byron Mutingwende   “My weight had reduced to 31kg but I am now at 50kg and improving daily. I am HIV positive and was susceptible to multiple infections. Thanks to the feeding programme at Sakupwanya Clinic here in Mutasa District, I look forward to living longer since my adherence to anti-retroviral therapy and TB…

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Multi-sectoral response to food and nutrition security bears positive outcomes in Mutasa

By Byron Mutingwende   Judith Mafunga Chikono, a member of the Neverlate Horticulture group in Ward 18 of Mutasa District recounts how she has benefitted from the Improved Nutrition and Sustainable Production for Increased Resilience and Economic Growth (INSPIRE) project.   “Through INSPIRE, I received theoretical and practical training on good agricultural practices of horticultural…

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Malnutrition blamed for fuelling poverty

By Byron Mutingwende   Malnutrition is impeding economic growth and development and contributing to poverty by increasing mortality, increasing susceptibility to disease, impairing cognitive development and educational achievement and reducing work capacity and productivity in adulthood, a senior government official has said.   In his official address at the Food and Nutrition Security Technical Committee…

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Stakeholders urged to create employment opportunities

By Byron Mutingwende   Stakeholders have been urged to engage in employment creation for improved standards of living of the citizenry.   Petronella Kagonye, the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare made the remarks at the dialogue on employment creation held in Harare on 4 April 2018. The minister alluded to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call…

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World urged to keep climate change in check

By Nevson Mpofu and Byron Mutingwende Yes, there is necessity to stay below 1,5 degrees of warming. This is done for the betterment of human livelihoods and for survival sake. To ensure environmental and agricultural sustainability, health and wellbeing, and being free from natural and human induced catastrophes, climate change effects should be kept in…

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Zimbabwe launches research and academia platform for scaling up nutrition

By Byron Mutingwende   Zimbabwe has launched a research and academia platform for scaling up nutrition in order to accelerate the achievement of national social and economic development aspirations.   In his address while officially launching the platform in Harare on 16 March 2018, Albert Chikondo, the Senior Principal Director in the Office of the…

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2017 Zimbabwe Human Development Report focuses on climate resilience building

By Byron Mutingwende   Building a climate resilient nation is among the country’s aspirations and the focus of the 2017 Zimbabwe Human Development Report (ZHDR) on this theme resonates with this trajectory.   In her remarks at the launch of the report at Meikles Hotel on 16 March 2018, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, the minister of environment,…

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Review working model – CAMPFIRE implementers urged

The Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) has been urged to review its working model to meet modern trends that improve performance. Amabasador Grace Mutandiro, the Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate said the CAMPFIRE framework needed to be updated in line with the new thinking and approaches after…

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Norton celebrates International Women’s Day

By Joyce Mukucha The Norton constituents joined other progressive elements of society in celebrating the International Women’s Day as a sign of respect and special treatment to women since they are pillars of strength, peacemakers and conduits for development of the country. The International Women’s Day was signed by United Nations in 1975 to be…

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FAO partners with PAP to engage African youth in the ‘Zero Hunger’ campaign

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) will further enhance its partnership with the Pan African Parliament in a bid to ensure that significant numbers of youths on the continent are engaged in efforts to achieve ‘zero hunger.’  In July 2017, (FAO) launched its Global Internship, Volunteers and Fellows Programmes (IVF) to mobilize youth to achieve…

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Miners indiscriminately destroying the environment

By Byron Mutingwende   The Marange Development Trust has bemoaned the indiscriminate destruction of the environment by miners in the diamond area of Manicaland.   “Before the discovery of diamond, families used to depend on crop cultivation, breeding goats, cattle and chickens, selling wild fruit, charcoal and gardening. However with mining, there is widespread water…

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School feeding programme an essential tool for development: Mohadi

By Byron Mutingwende   School feeding is an essential tool for development since it fosters food and nutrition security, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.   Vice President Mohadi made the remarks on the occasion of the third edition of the African Day of School Feeding that was officially opened on 1 March 2018 in…

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World Bank presents nutrition feedback to help Zim reduce stunting growth

In trying to reduce the stunting growth of children and understand the current nutrition context in Zimbabwe that would lay the future advocacy, resource mobilisation and analytical work under the Trust Fund, the World Bank has presented the feedback of the research it carried out. For the past five years, World Bank has been moving…

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Nutritionists call for increase in budget allocation for health

By Byron Mutingwende   Nutritionists are calling for the National Budget to allocate the threshold prescribed in the Abuja Declaration to the health sector if the country is to realise positive economic development outcomes.   “The National Budget should allocate at least 15% to healthcare in line with the Abuja Declaration target. Empirical evidence has…

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Securing land tenure policies a key to economic development

By Joyce Mukucha Land in Zimbabwe is viewed as the basis of wealth and its allocation and security determines the development of the country and quality to human life pace of development. Given the opportunity that there is a huge commitment to resources by both government and international partners, there would be reimbursement for attained…

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Communities benefit from Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund

By Byron Mutingwende   The Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) is increasing the capacities of communities to protect development gains and achieve improved well-being outcomes in the face of shocks and stresses enabling them to contribute to the economic growth of Zimbabwe.   Speaking during the signing ceremony of the £21.5m contribution by the United…

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GMB providing shoddy services to farmers in time

By Patricia Mashiri The Zimbabwe Grain Marketing Board (GMB) is failing to deliver services to farmers throughout the country. This is evidenced by the late delivery of inputs from the Presidential Scheme that were supposed to have been delivered to the farmers countrywide. The inputs comprise of 10kg maize seed, 50kg Compound D fertilizer, 50…

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2017-18 a dry season for Masvingo province

By Patricia Mashiri Masvingo province is currently experiencing a dry spell compared to the 2016-17 farming season which received high rainfall amounts that resulted in bumper harvests. High temperatures are being experienced in the province with no adequate rains to till the lands. Nomusa Madakadze, the Agritex Extension Officer for Masvingo North Ward 1, in…

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Sports drive community development in Mudzi

By Byron Mutingwende   For Magna Mudyiwa, the Member of the House of Assembly for Mudzi West Constituency leadership is a natural calling and the legislator is using sport to unite people for peace and development.   The hardworking legislator is the brain behind the annual Magna Mudyiwa Sports Tournament ever since coming into office…

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Govt commits $52 mln to irrigation

By Reason Dube GOVERNMENT has committed US$52, 1 million for the rehabilitation and expansion of irrigation schemes throughout the country with 14 irrigation schemes set to benefit in Masvingo province. In his US5,1 billion 2018  National Budget Statement presented in Harare last week Minister of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa underscored the need for…

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Manage livestock properly to ensure food and nutrition security

By Byron Mutingwende   Livestock contributes immensely to food and nutrition security as well as to foreign currency generation and economic growth, hence the importance of managing it properly, it has emerged.   In his address at a meeting of the Inclusive Policy Dialogue for Social Development (IPDSD), Abdul Nyathi, the President of the Zimbabwe…

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Going green a pathway to sustainable growth, productivity and jobs

By Byron Mutingwende   Born and bred in rural Marondera where farmers used organic farming to grow crops, Clive Nyapokoto experienced the hard and intense labour involved in the daily farm activities which sometimes he had to do before going to school in the morning. That background motivated him to come up with innovations to…

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Grassroots women mothers of children with disability grapple with adverse effects of climate change

By Byron Mutingwende   The Global Community is living no stone unturned in their endeavour to develop sustainable community responsive strategies to ensure adaptability and resilience in the wake of extreme hunger and severe poverty. Zimbabwe Parents of the Handicapped Children joined the Global Community in making frantic efforts to ensure grassroots women particularly mothers…

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Women overcome poverty through food and nutrition security programmes

Women overcome poverty through food and nutrition security programmes   By Byron Mutingwende   Ward 9 and 19 of Chipinge District are role models of successful small-scale farming under the land reform programme. The Food and Nutrition Security Committee (FNSC) initiated programmes saw women in the wards running successful banana, cassava, poultry, dairy and value…

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Livelihoods under threat as Chilonga Irrigation Scheme becomes dysfunctional

By Byron Mutingwende   The drive through Hippo Valley Estates from Chiredzi Town heading towards the south is panoramic and breath-taking. There is a hive of activity as sugar-cane cutters are ferried by huge tractors to and from work. Huge piles of molasses bags are heaped at the Tongaat Hullet Sugar Refinery and in the…

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Resettled communities building resilience on food and nutrition

By Byron Mutingwende   It is just nine o’clock in the morning but despite the air conditioner, everyone on the Toyota off-road vehicle is sweating profusely. We drive past the fence bordering the Marirangwe Game Park along the Chiredzi-Tanganda Highway in the hot Lowveld area and head straight to Village 3 of the Chizvirizvi area…

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Urban local authorities urged to embrace climate change adaptation strategies

By Byron Mutingwende   The ministry of water resources development and climate has introduced the National Adaption Plan (NAP) process to urban authorities to reduce their vulnerability to climate change impacts and facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation into their planning processes.   The National Adaptation Planning is a flexible process that builds on…

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Work towards ending all forms of malnutrition: Stakeholders urged

By Byron Mutingwende   Stakeholders have reiterated the call to end malnutrition in all its forms in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. This emerged at the Zimbabwe Nutrition Association (ZimNA) inaugural conference held at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare.   The conference was a platform for sharing ideas and experiences as a way of…

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Poor countries spending climate cash on rich world consultants

Published on 02/11/2017, 11:42am Lack of expertise means money for climate protection is spent on consultancy fees, which African officials say end up back in wealthy countries By Mantoe Phakathi in Manzini Even as they plan to demand more cash at UN talks in Bonn this week, poor countries lack the ability to initiate and implement climate projects,…

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Districts linked to food and nutrition security information system

By Byron Mutingwende   The government has launched the “district risk profiles” in a bid to ensure a national integrated food and nutrition security information system that provides timely and reliable information on the food and nutrition security situation and the effectiveness of programmes and informs decision-making.   In his speech during the launch at…

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Agriculture a key sector for youth employment

By Byron Mutingwende   Agriculture has the potential to create employment opportunities for young men and women, a senior government official has said.   Dr Desire Sibanda, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Development, Empowerment and Indigenisation of Zimbabwe hinted that trajectory in his keynote address at the SP3 Capacity Development Workshop on…

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Nutrition sensitive agriculture eliminating food insecurity, hidden hunger in Zimbabwe

By Byron Mutingwende   Trinity Musarurwa tenders her lettuce in the community-owned garden in Masiyarwa area, Zvimba District of Mashonaland West Province. She has five beds of her own in the large piece of land fenced for a garden in which a borehole was also drilled, courtesy of the benevolence of a non-governmental organisation’s donation….

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UN spearheading resilience uptake in Masvingo

By Byron Mutingwende   Resilience science involves bringing together multiple strategies targeting a variety of stakeholders who are affected differently by the shocks that arise out of the negative effects of climate change. True to its modus operandi, the United Nations (UN) Zimbabwe team toured Masvingo Province to ensure communities embrace this phenomenon.   To…

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Zimbabwe concerned about increase in antimicrobial resistance

By Patricia Mashiri Zimbabwe is concerned bout the significant growth of resistance to infections like TB and malaria, which is generally known as antimicrobial resistance. The Ministry of Health and Childcare has launched the Zimbabwe Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) National Action Plan and the Situation Analysis Report under the theme “Together as one Health in the…

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Beef industry to revive Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector

By Patricia Mashiri Agriculture is Zimbabwe’s economic backbone and the beef sector is one of the critical cogs in the improvement of the livelihood of the rural populace. Paddy Zhanda, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture underscored the importance of improving the quality and sales of beef at a study report meeting held by the Livestock…

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ZUNDAF advances SDGs agenda

The United Nations office in Zimbabwe has fully embraced the 2030 Agenda which pursues the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its roadmap for inclusive development. The United Nations Team in Zimbabwe, in support of national development priorities and in partnership with development partners, has reiterated its commitments articulated under the 2016-2020 Zimbabwe United Nations Development…

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Innovative Farming Benefits Thousands in Rural Zimbabwe

Over 170 000 farmers have benefitted from an innovative research for development project which focuses on small scale mixed crop and livestock meant to improve their food and nutritional security. The project which was begun in 2012 brings new innovative ways to farming and has already resulted in improved nutrition and an ending to perennial…

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Climate change impacts human development

By Patricia Mashiri The Zimbabwe Human Development report focuses on critically analysing issues pertaining to climate change and its impacts on the livelihood of people, food security, health and education. The report was guided by Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and the Ministry of Macroeconomic Planning and Investment to provide an in-depth analysis…

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Zim Agriculture Lacks Science Input

By Wisdom Mumera Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector is suffering from a lack of science based farming methods stemming from lack of knowledge that is hampering production according to an expert. Speaking at a Zimbabwe Lands Commission National Needs Assessment Validation Workshop in Harare, Professor Sheunesu Mpepereki called for investment into farmer knowledge if the country is…

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