The Impact of Conservation
Agriculture on Food Security
in two districts of Zimbabwe
Paul Wagstaff,
Agriculture Advisor, Concern Worldwide
Malachy Harty,
International Development & Food Policy, UCC
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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Problems with Conventional
Agriculture
• Reduction of soil fertility and physical structure
 Increased erosion
• High labour/ energy requirement - barrier to
participation for poor, sick or elderly farmers
 Delayed planting
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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The Principles of Conservation
Agriculture (CA)
• 1. Avoid Soil Disturbance
–
–
–
–
Planting basins
direct seed drills
rippers
jab planters
• 2. Soil Cover
– Mulching with crop residues
– Cover crops
• 3. Crop Rotation
Planting pits in Zimbabwe
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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Resiliance to Climate Change
 Improved soil structure – reduced erosion
 Water retained in soil
Conservation
 Low impact - avoids problems of conventional agriculture
 Low carbon system of food production
 Potential value as a carbon sink, but results unclear
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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Challenges and Limitations of CA
• Retention of residues for mulch cover
• Different spacings for rotation crops
• Labour in first years
• Change of mindset
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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Zimbabwe
 Gokwe North
 Gokwe South
 Nyanga
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Comparison of maize yields grown in CA
planting basins, Zimbabwe (CIMMYT)
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Where do the yield benefits of Conservation
Farming come from? (GART, Zambia)
Value of Conservation Agriculture even if simply to plant on time!
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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Conservation Farming in Zimbabwe
• No draught animals so system based on preparing planting
basins during the dry season
• Intensive extension support
• 50 x 50m Conservation Farming plots (1/4 ha) per household
• ½ maize, ¼ sorghum, ¼ groundnuts/ cowpeas
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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Overview of Household Economy
Approach (HEA)
 How people in different social and economic circumstances get the food
and cash they need
 Hyper inflationary situation – cash values irrelevant
 Crop production and income converted into kilo calorie equivalents
 2,100 kcal per person per day survival threshold
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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FIGURE 4: Crop Production (GKN)
KGs produced
1000
800
millet
600
cowpeas
400
groundnuts
200
sorghum
maize
0
CF V. Poor
GKN
V. Poor
GKN
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
CF Poor
GKN
Poor GKN
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% of annual food needs
FIGURE 6: Sources of Food
barter
140%
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
wild food
food aid
purchase
payment in kind
l'stock products
CF V. Poor V. Poor GKN CF Poor GKN Poor GKN
GKN
crops
 Difficult political and economic situation, poor rains - all groups received food aid
 Poor Conservation Farmers would have needed 50% less food aid than the control
group.
 The very poor control group had to undertake much more casual labour for food
which may have resulted in taking children out of school, less time available to
prepare food, take children to health centres, etc
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Results
CF farmers do not require food aid and are producing
larger surpluses than conventional farmers
2010: INGOs will buy maize surpluses from the CF
farmers to distribute to food deficit areas of Zimbabwe!
Concern currently expanding CA to Tanzania (EU),
Zambia & Malawi (Accenture), Liberia
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10
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No magic bullets
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Water
Markets, trade, infrastructure
Research
Extension and education
Health
Financial services and insurance
Inputs
Land tenure
Environment
Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10