A reflection from the field: International Program Manager Tracey Robinson shares her inspiring visit to visit Christian Care Zimbabwe, where conservation farming is transforming lives.
For Tracey, it was a full-circle moment, returning to Zimbabwe and seeing the progress of a program that began three years ago. In Bikita community, she visited many community members who have taken part in the conservation farming program.
Christian Care has become a leader in the field of this climate-resilient farming approach, teaching community members to move away from traditional farming techniques that rely on labour and water-intensive methods like traditional ox ploughing.
Conservation farming responds to the changing weather patterns and the climate change pressures Zimbabwe is facing, focusing on modern techniques that require less water, fewer seeds, and produce better yields. And the difference in the crop outputs is remarkable.
A Full-Circle Moment
Tracey met a farmer called Juliet, who graduated from the conservation farming project and was selected by the community to be the lead farmer.
“Juliet utilises her own farm as an outdoor classroom, modeling good practice and showing other farmers what they can expect with the adoption of climate smart farming practices,” explains Tracey.
“Other farmers who were not registered in the project come to her field, and she talks through the conservation farming techniques. She demonstrates how to prepare the holes, plant the seeds, and improve the soil fertility, and the importance of thinning out the crops after germination and of mulching. It’s a great way of passing on skills through face-to-face interaction, where farmers can ask questions and see for themselves how successful Juliet’s harvests are. It’s very motivating and empowering for other women farmers.”
Building Skills, Empowering Women
The female farmers work in groups of 25. Juliet and other lead farmers train the groups, showing them how they can maximise their yield by following conservation farming methods.
“The depth of the rows should be 15 centimetres, the plants should be mulched to conserve moisture,” explains Juliet.
“After demonstrating, each person will go back and do the same on their plot.”
And the proof is in the harvest.
“Our soil used to be very poor. But now it’s fertile and giving good yield. Weeds have also been reduced drastically.”
~ Juliet
“If you look at last year, the rains came in November, we planted in November,” says Juliet. “By December, we experienced a severe drought. There was a very dry spell. But our crops survived because the mulch conserved moisture. Mulch and locally made compost also increases the fertility of the soil.
“The reason for doing conservation farming is because those who don’t have this education, are not receiving a good yield.”
According to Tracey the difference in outputs between the farming methods is drastic.
The holistic success of the program extends far beyond the individual accomplishment of just one farmer. Conservation farming is improving food security, creating sustainable livelihoods and ensuring the community has a safe place to belong.
Traditional Farming Versus conservation farming
“I spoke to one woman who wasn’t doing conservation farming. They were still ploughing with ox, and her field was so constricted with weeds, and the soil was dry and barren. She attempted to sow two harvests a few weeks apart. The first one was a complete failure, and the second only produced half a bag of maize.
It was devastating for this farmer who spent what little money she had on seeds and put in time and energy into sowing with very little to show in return. Whereas a farmer like Juliet is harvesting 15 to 16 bags from the same size plot.”
~ International Program Manager, Tracey Robinson
“The purpose of the whole project is for the communities to be food secure, to produce profit and to reduce migration of people caused by inadequate rainfall and erratic rainfall from climate change,” says Juliet.
Turn the sound on to hear the women sing in celebration of climate-resilient farming in Zimbabwe.
The program addresses displacement because it helps farmers understand ways of improving farming practice, along with adopting other skills to diversify their livelihoods. This helps households become more food secure, where they are no longer forced to move on or relocate to find different means of trying to access food. “This keeps communities together,” explains Tracey.
For Juliet, the success is clear.
“If you follow the principles of conservation farming, you won’t go wrong.”
