In the previous three sections we looked at the role smallholder farm­ers play in agriculture, food security and nutrition in Africa, the challenges they face, and some solutions offered by external role-players, such as the African Development Bank (AfDB).

That offers one set of solutions that can surely work with the input of outside role-players, but what can the farmers themselves do? Agroecology offers more solutions.

What is agroecology?

Agroecology is a fast-growing agricul­tural model globally and is particularly relevant for Southern African farmers who are facing the ravages of an er­ratic climate.

According to Prof Kingsley Ayisi, Direc­tor of the Centre of Global Change at the University of Limpopo, agroecology helps farmers deal with climate change, reduces the need for expensive chemi­cals, and keeps the soil healthy.

Agroecology differs from other sustainable agricultural practices in a number of ways. Firstly, it is a bottom-up and localised process that finds so­lutions to local problems. “You engage the beneficiaries that you are target­ing. They play a key role in under­standing the challenges and in finding solutions through technology. It is also quite localised. You cannot generalise it on a larger scale because of the differ­ences in agroecosystems,” he says.

The goal is to improve ecosystem services and minimise the use of exter­nal inputs by promoting local biodiver­sity and sustainable practices.

“We have the natural ecosystems, which are your wild areas,” he explains. “The moment you decide to manage the production of agriculture, crops or animals, you already transit into the agroecosystem.”

Instead of monoculture, the plant­ing of only one crop such as maize, agroecological principles promote the

planting of different crops. Monoculture was a move away from ancestral farm­ing methods with the aim of feeding a growing population.

“But all this comes also at the ex­pense of the environment. In agro­ecosystems, we are trying to promote utilising local [biodiversity] to improve ecosystems and also minimise the input of external resources.”

He believes indigenous knowledge of farming practices are very important. It can help create more resilient farm­ing systems that are adapted to local conditions. Agroecology empowers the local community who have farmed in the area for years and knows the local context and key issues.

Agroecological practices farmers can implement

Prof Ayisi suggests four agroecological practices that farmers can implement. These include cover-cropping, crop rotation, vermicomposting and agro­forestry.

Cover-cropping refers to plant­ing beans on a field where the main crop has been harvested. Leguminous crops fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, so instead of leaving the field fal­low before the next main crop, cover crops can help fix nitrogen in the soil, while the plants cover the soil against the hot sun, and the roots keep the soil from being washed away during a rainstorm.

Crop rotation refers to planting different types of crops on land from season to season. This helps break pest and disease cycles, improve the soil structure and optimise the use of nutri­ents the crop leaves for the next crop to be planted on the same plot of land.

Vermicomposting refers to using earthworms to break down vegetable matter that can be used to enrich the soil. This minimises the use of chemical fertilisers, because nature does the trick.

Agroforestry includes the plant­ing of trees along with other crops.

Agroforestry is discussed in a separate series in ProAgri.

Agroecology in Zimbabwe

Elizabeth Mpofu, Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farm­ers Forum (Zimsoff), said El Niño has taught farmers that their farming model was defenceless and fragile and that they must remain vigilant in case more disasters are caused by the changing climate.

“Crops were a write-off, livestock is under threat from starvation, national economies are projected to shrink. Agroecology offers a great farming system to deal not only with challenges of climate change, but also to ensure nutrition to many people,” she was quoted as saying.

Nyasha Makayakora, a farmer from Mutoko, said agroecology cut input costs while at the same time boost­ing yields. “Agroecology is important because as a farmer, I do not worry about where I am going to get money to buy seeds, nor money for fertilisers as all these will be readily available, as we use organic waste and natural manure,” he said. “When we harvest, I just take some of the harvest to use as just take some of the harvest to use as seeds and put it aside, meaning I will not have to worry about buying seeds.”

The example of Shashe

Agroecology has transformed the Shashe community in the Masvingo province of the country. They learned about the principles of agroecology from the Shashe Agroecology School that was co-founded by Elizabeth in 2016.

She was chosen to be the special ambassador for the International Year of Forces by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. She visited many countries and learned how farmers elsewhere adapted to climate change. When she returned home, she started a similar institution in Zimbabwe to ex­change ideas on how best to adapt.

Before, some of the factors that con­tributed to low yields included unsuit­able seed, the loss of agro-biodiversity, not enough inputs, poor soils, and frequent droughts. Climate change exacerbated these challenges. But once the Shashe farmers learned more about agroecology, novel interventions to minimise environmental impacts, and better farmer-consumer interac­tion, they started to flourish.

Their farming success empowered them to have control over their lo­cal food systems and to protect their livelihoods. The community has even transformed into a respectable provin­cial agricultural hub who find their own clever solutions. For instance, in the be­ginning they had only two boreholes for the use of several families; they learned to dig contour ridges to stop rainwater from running away and they make use of rooftop rainwater harvesting.

They now grow a variety of food crops, including drought-resistant grains like sorghum, as well as legumes, roots and tubers, vegetables, fruit and medicinal plants. They raise cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and even fish.

Besides making their own compost using animal manure and plant rests, they also make use of vermiculture, or earthworm tea, to return nutrients to the soil. According to Elizabeth, despite low rainfall, the farmers harvested enough to feed their families and to sell some of the yield.

According to Patience Shumba of the Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farm­ers Forum (Zimsoff), there are more than a thousand agroecology projects running in Zimbabwe. “Some of us are technical support staff to steer the on­going process and just guide the farm­ers where necessary. Farmers seek to achieve climate justice, because we fight against climate change by using agroecology practices, and we want one voice to be heard as well as have access to land, especially women and youth farmers.”

Contact the Zimbabwe Small­holder Organic Farmers Forum (Zimsoff) at (+263)24-274-6552 or info@zimsofforum.org

Source references

Mtombeni, G.G. (2024) Farmers urged to embrace agroecology. The Standard https://www.newsday.co.zw/thestandard/business/arti­cle/200030475/farmers-urged-to-embrace-agroecology

Mtombeni, G.G. (2024) Sustainable farming transforms Shashe com­munity. Southern Eye https://www.newsday.co.zw/south­erneye/local/article/200029273/sustainable-farming-transforms-shashe-community

Tembo, P. (2024) Four agroecologi­cal practices to implement on your farm today. Food for Mzansi.co.za. https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/four-agroecological-practices-to-implement-on-your-farm-today/

The 10 Elements of Agroecology (FAO) https://www.fao.org/agro­ecology/overview/overview10ele­ments/en/