[{"bbox": [81, 165, 1044, 193], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Shift to drought resistant crops and traditional grains through agro-ecological and sustainable practices"}, {"bbox": [81, 204, 1121, 444], "category": "Text", "text": "While maize has dominated Zimbabwe's agricultural landscape for decades, there's growing recognition of the importance of reintroducing traditional grains and promoting drought-resistant crops, which could also contribute to support of poly-culture agrifood systems that would benefit climate change resilience. The transition from traditional grains to maize cultivation in Zimbabwe was driven in post-colonial era by a combination of government policies, market dynamics, technological advancements, and cultural shifts. Government initiatives promoting maize farming, coupled with subsidies and resource incentives, incentivized farmers to switch crops. Maize's versatility and market demand, along with its higher yields per hectare, made it economically attractive. Additionally, infrastructure development and agricultural innovations further facilitated maize cultivation, while cultural changes led to increased incorporation of maize-based foods into Zimbabwean diets."}, {"bbox": [79, 455, 1121, 616], "category": "Text", "text": "However, successive droughts in Zimbabwe compounded by other economic shocks in recent years (including the current El Nino in 2023-2024) have resulted in decreased maize productivity amongst the communal farmers most of whom reside in regions IV and V which are considered semi-arid. This has given rise to the need to find alternative food crops and adapt the farming systems, which may be suitable for these areas but also would benefit the implementation of climate-smart agriculture practices, including minimum soil tillage, permanent soil cover, and crop diversification, to improve crop yields, drought resistance, soil structure, and nutrition security."}, {"bbox": [81, 627, 1120, 840], "category": "Text", "text": "Generally, research in the world indicates the importance of diversifying agricultural production and reintroducing traditional grains and drought-resistant crops to end chronic food insecurity in semi-arid areas. Though Zimbabwe cereal production fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to decrease through 1973 - 2022 period ending at 1.89 million metric tons in 2022, with only 11.6% of production related to traditional grains (mainly sorghum and millet). Clearly, rain-fed agriculture suffered more, pointing to the need to invest more in mitigating against environment shocks. In this context, there is currently a growing recognition from government and development partners of the need to shift to drought-resistant crops and traditional grains, which offer nutritional benefits and are resilient to adverse environmental conditions such as droughts."}, {"bbox": [81, 851, 1121, 1118], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action's approach to climate-smart agriculture and ecological principles recognizes the significance of drought-resistant crops and traditional grains in fostering resilience to climate change and the importance to embrace a diverse range of crops and farming practices. This would include advocating for crop diversification, sustainable land and water management techniques, and agro-ecological practices that enhance soil health and biodiversity. By adopting a holistic approach that integrates various crops and farming methods, the Action aims at building robust and resilient agricultural systems that can adapt to changing climatic conditions while ensuring sustainable food production. The action will not solely focus on specific or single traditional grains. Instead, we will promote a diverse range of crops and farming practices that align with climate-smart principles, thereby preserving soil quality, enhancing resilience, and contributing to the long-term sustainability of Zimbabwe's agricultural sector and the resilience of its communities."}, {"bbox": [81, 1129, 1120, 1210], "category": "Text", "text": "By cultivating drought-resistant crops and promoting traditional grains, Zimbabwe can enhance food security, mitigate the impact of climate variability on agricultural productivity, and build resilience in the face of fluctuating weather patterns."}, {"bbox": [81, 1221, 1120, 1328], "category": "Text", "text": "Investing in research and development to improve traditional grain varieties and enhance their productivity can further support the shift towards diversified cropping systems improving climate resilience and biodiversity. Additionally, providing support to farmers through extension services, access to quality seeds, and market linkages can encourage adoption of these crops and contribute to rural livelihoods and food security."}, {"bbox": [81, 1340, 1120, 1394], "category": "Text", "text": "However, the development of the more drought-resistant crops and traditional grains faces the following challenges:"}, {"bbox": [81, 1405, 1120, 1565], "category": "Text", "text": "i) Insufficient mechanised processing to improve the quality of the final work to a same level as maize and to reduce labour for milling. To be profitable and attract investment, the crops require more and better processing, increased aggregation in business centres, which also provide the necessary services to producers (seeds, extension and access to information). Processing in turn requires reliable energy, which avoid expensive and polluting diesel generators. Markets exist, both for food consumption as for industrial use, but the value-chains need catalysing to reach break-even for private investment."}, {"bbox": [81, 1577, 1120, 1632], "category": "Text", "text": "ii) Producers need renewed assurance that drought resistant crops will avail of sufficiently good quality seeds and market access, to provide better resilience and revenues compared to the water consuming maize which benefits"}, {"bbox": [601, 1639, 614, 1661], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "7"}]