A Guide to Conservation Agriculture in Zimbabwe - Canadian ...

Promoting Conservation Agriculture Among Farmers
section ONE
The recent increase in food and oil prices worldwide
presents an additional constraint to household food
security in Zimbabwe, as the direct and indirect
(transportation etc.) costs of inputs and imported
foodstuffs rise (see Figure 1.4). In 2007 the international
food price index rose by nearly 40%, compared with 9%
the year before, and in the first three months of 2008
prices increased further, by about 50%.
Commodity prices US$/tonne)
Figure 1.4 Food and oil price index 2000-2008
(Source: IFPRI, 2008 from FAO, 2008 and IMF, 2008)
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The New Situation : Surge in Prices
New trend
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Maize Wheat Rice Oil (light scale)
Why Food Prices Increase
Three factors are key to driving this global increase
in prices:
• increased demand for food due to high income
growth
• high energy prices
• misguided policies, including ambitious biofuel
promotion policies and neglecting investment
to increase agricultural productivity.
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To address these issues there is a need for a rapid
investment in agricultural growth, particularly in
agricultural science and technology and for market access,
at a national and global scale, to address the long-term
problem of boosting supply. Rural investments have been
sorely neglected in recent decades, and now is the time
to reverse this trend. In addition comprehensive social
protection and food and nutrition initiatives are needed
to meet the short- and long-term needs of the poor, both
urban and rural. Ultimately rising food prices can
potentially offer opportunities for producers if they are
in a position to respond to market signals.
1.4 Problems with conventional
farming
Conventional land preparation methods along with
removal or burning of crop residues, poor rangeland
management and inadequate crop rotations have
contributed to a worsening situation in Zimbabwe. In
conventional agriculture, soil tillage is considered one of
the most important operations for creating a favourable
soil tilth, preparing a seedbed and controlling weeds.
However, mechanical implements destroy the soil
structure by breaking down the aggregate size and
currently conventional tillage methods are a major cause
of soil loss and desertification in many developing
countries. Erosion as a result of tillage can lead to soil
losses exceeding 10 tonnes per hectare annually from
sandy soils in southern Zimbabwe. Soil erosion accelerated
by wind and water is responsible for 40% of land
degradation worldwide.
The most widely practised method of land preparation in
Zimbabwe is ploughing using an animal-drawn
mouldboard plough.
Farming for the Future
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