The shift is visible long before you reach the fields. In parts of Chimanimani, the dominance of maize is slowly giving way to a patchwork of small grains, finger millet, rapoko and sorghum, crops once pushed to the margins, now returning out of necessity. As climate pressures intensify and input costs rise, subsistence farmers are rethinking how they grow food, and more importantly, what they grow.
For years, farmers here have battled erratic rainfall, degraded soils and rising production costs. Maize — once the backbone of household food security — has become increasingly unreliable. But across Ward 4, a different approach is emerging, driven not by heavy machinery or chemical inputs, but by indigenous knowledge and ecological balance.
At the centre of this transition is smallholder farmer Samuel Mupfukurei. On a one-hectare plot at the Chireranherera project, Mupfukurei is demonstrating how agroecological practices can transform livelihoods. His field tells the story immediately, a diversified system where finger millet, rapoko and sorghum grow alongside legumes and fruit trees.
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“These crops are more reliable,” he says. “Even when the rains are poor, we still harvest something.” Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector is under increasing pressure. Climate variability has shortened growing seasons, while the cost of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides has surged beyond the reach of many small-scale farmers.
In this context, agroecology is gaining traction as a practical and cost-effective alternative. “Agroecology helps me by boosting food security, resilience and income,” Mupfukurei explains. “I no longer depend on expensive fertilisers and chemicals.
I use compost and manure, and I rely on natural processes.” His approach is rooted in conservation farming principles. Crop residues are retained to improve soil organic matter. Livestock manure is incorporated to enhance fertility. Chemical inputs are replaced with locally available resources.
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