Transcript 12._Universities_on_Ecosystem

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EBA)
Initiatives for Food Security in Rural
Zimbabwe: a case of Midlands State
University
By
Jephias Matunhu (PhD)
Structure of the Presentation
Objectives
Background
How the Approach Addresses & Enhances Climate
Adaptation
The Big Picture- Impacts
Barriers
Suggestions for Future Research
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
Objectives
To document the role being played MSU in dealing
with climate change adaptability and food security in
rural communities in Zimbabwe
To bring awareness on the significance of
collaboration between universities and rural
communities for food security and employment
creation
Background
In 2009, VC of MSU ordered the university to spearhead
community engagement initiatives after a baseline survey
on vulnerability of rural areas to climate change
Consultative meetings were held between the University
and Mberengwa District leadership.
A joint committee was established to implement
ecosystem-based approaches to food insecurity in the area
In 2010 a pilot nutrition garden was established on a two
acre plot
At MSU a Community Engagement Committee was set up
continued…..
 Empowerment by MSU: Fencing, drilling of boreholes, water tanks,
generators, building a house & furnishing it for students on WRL
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
Technology Transfer: Regular training workshops in
English and ChiShona were/are being conducted on
agriculture and climate change resilience
MSU sends students on WRL to the District yearlyaccommodation is offered by the University.
The project is addressing food insecurity and desertification
risks in this semi-arid District
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
How the Approach Addresses &
Enhances Food and Nutrition Security
 Community is into: poultry (300 birds/month with a full capacity of
1000 birds/month), vegetables production (3 tonnes/month), bee
keeping, shomwe (marula kernel) – 15kg/month (Gumbo 2014)
continued…..
50 HHs in a desperate food situation benefitted
from the project (Gumbo 2014)
The HH have 250 people of which 150 are females
Chickens & vegetables are sold to MSU at market
value. Chicken offal are for the community
University is spearheading methods of preserving
and adding value to seasonal indigenous fruits
A wide variety of vegetables now available (onions,
tomatoes, carrots, beet root cabbage, rape, nyeve,
medicinal herbs, etc)
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
A significant decrease in reported cases of child
malnutrition 0-59 months, which in 2010 was 12,5%
compared to 9.9% WHO standard (senior nurse)
Dept of Food Science is running lab trials on
extracting iron from black jack -food additive
Vitamins from vegetables, medicinal herbs &
protein from poultry increase micro nutrient level of
food
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
Winter Crop: Mr SD Gumbo (right) with a Villager
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
Women Working in the Garden
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
continued…..
The community has realised US$16,740 from
surplus produce (Gumbo 14 May 2015)
With the money the community is able to send chn
to school, buy what they do not produce like salt
Prevalence of kwashikor, marasmus, beriberi and
scurvy has dropped by 13% since the establishment
of the project (Gomututu Community nurse)
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
How the Approach Addresses & Enhances
Ecosystem Productivity
A plantation of about 312 gumtrees and 137 indigenous
fruit trees is being established in the community
The university and the community explore ways of fusing
IKS and scientific knowledge systems in food production
CA is being adopted by the local farmers
Only traditional leaders are to authorize cutting down of
trees ’. . . written permission to do so from the traditional
leader’’ said one of the enforcer of this policy
EMA and traditional leaders enforce rules against
indiscriminate cutting of trees and starting of veld fires
Trees are cut for firewood, farm brick kilns, building huts,
fencing, fencing off homesteads & fields, burying the dead
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
Enhancing Value chains and access to Markets
With encouragement from the ZIMASSET, local farmers
are venturing into bottling of marula juice (mukumbi)
continued . . . .
Marula juice has 4 times vitamin C than orange juice and
the bark of the tree has medicinal properties; it treats
dysentery, diarrhoea etc,
The kernel is rich in unsaturated oil, calcium, magnesium,
potassium, phosphorous and antoxidants (Matt Styslinger
on www.blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/marulafood-function-and-sustainable-development/2014)
Bottling and marketing of indigenous fruits like nyi
(birdplum), tsvubvu (smelly berries), nhengeni (sour plum)
This encourages reforestration using indigenous fruit trees
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
continued…..
MSU is the market: It has 4 food outlets at 4 campuses
The Community is taught conservation agriculture (CA) by
the Faculty of Agriculture at the University
The Community is into gully reclamation- 4 have been
reclaimed.
A small ware was constructed for fish farming and watering
animals, SIFE students from MSU mobilised financial and
material support from the donor community
NB The fish farming project is in its infancy
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
The big Picture- Impacts
 Climate change knows no geo-political boundaries,
it knows no colour, sex, race, etc (Muller 2014).
MSU is slowly rolling out the approach to other
districts like Chivi, Silobela and Buhera
Great Zimbabwe University is rolling out similar
projects in Mashava, Chivi
The initiative is adopted by a farmer in the District
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
How the EBA can change the current Agriculture
Paradigm in Africa
Through education, training and continuous research
Sound education on climate change adaptability (Confucius
says knowledge is power and John Locke (1693) says
nothing beats education)
Level of deforestation is reduced as traditional leaders take
charge of re-forestration activities
Establishing indigenous and exotic fruit tree plantations
Conservation Agriculture is restoring the ecosystem at the
same time promoting food security in the community
The emerging opportunities include:
Exploration of more effective and efficient ways of
increasing food productivity
Deep partnerships of tertiary education system with local
communities in climate change adaptability and food
security
Contract farming- technology, new varieties, value addition
Exploration of new ways of harvesting and preserving of
indigenous food stuffs
Blending Indigenous Knowledge with Scientific knowledge
into ecosystems related livelihoods
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
African countries have to find each other in curbing the
proliferation of organophosphate agro-chemicals like DDT
Africa should not be a dumping ground of dangerous
chemicals and absolute technology
Africa should invest heavily in research and development
Tertiary education system in Africa should come up with
new technology of dealing with agric pests and weeds
New food crop varieties should come from our laboratories
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
Barriers
Funding: with enough funding, the project could be more
robust and handy in ensuring food security and income
Income - to purchase solar panels which reduce the
community’s reliance on wood for domestic energy
Cultural beliefs- use of trees when burying the deceased
Ownership of land, the forests being developed by the
community are on communal land. The land is not titled,
this is risky for development on it is not bankable
Disconnection with international markets eg sesame
(runinga) is on demand in South Korea
Suggested Actions for Food Security & Climate Resilience
GoZ should title land that is used by local communities
Contract farming of tree plantations is necessary to
incentivize local communities
Capacitate Environmental Management Agency
EBA to be included in school curricular from kindergarten
Create agriculture and climate committees at village, ward,
district and provincial levels
Support vigorous research on eba to indigenous food
production, consumption, distribution etc
Popularise consumption of indigenous foods
continued…..
Rewarding and publicizing civil society institutions and
individuals who excel in implementing eba
Develop a village model: this should consist of elected
village reps, agriculture expert, university, nutritionist,
university students on WRL. The diverse expertise of the
people will bring knowledge sharing
Media to bombard society with periodic accurate info on
agriculture and climate change in all local languages
Take advantage of the proliferation of the cellular
technology - WhatsApp, Facebook, bulk messages etc to
reach out to local farmers on issues like veld fires
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
Suggested Actions to Create Jobs for Youths
 Nothing beats right policies
 Encourage youths to venture into business cooperatives
and
create
Jobs
for theFund
youths
and

Create
a Ecosystems
Entrepreneurship
for youths:
this should
encourage young people
to go ‘green’ in food production, value
others
addition & marketing of food substances
 Instead of sending chickens etc to MSU, youths should be funded
and encouraged to add value to produce at source
 GoZ policies to promote youth businesses by creating a market for
their produce, and Subsidizing the cost of ecosystem-based food
production approaches and technology
 Encourage competition by youths at local, national, regional and
continental levels
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
Suggestions for Future Research
We have not exhausted ways of making Africa eba
compliant; Together; rich or poor, young or old . .
we can do more for our continent (Matunhu 2014)
Further research is required into:
(1) sustainable ebafosc funding options
(2) alternative food substances like worms & insects
(3) skills transfer with other rural areas in Africa
(4) Alternative sources of energy for cooking, fencing
and kilning bricks
continued…..
(5) value addition of hundreds of different types of wild
fruits & vegs found in the locality
(6) marketing of value added traditional fruitslocally
and internationally (bottled, canned, dried indigenous
fruits like suma, matamba, chakata, shomwe,
maonde, chechete, tsvubu, matobwe (seasonal fruits)
(7) Increasing participation of think tanks, universities
and other tertiary institutions in building resilient
ecosystems
2nd Africa EbA for food security conference 2015 | Nairobi - Kenya
| 30 – 31 July 2015
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