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ZIMBABWE BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP RECOGNITION AND AWARD
REPORT BY: COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT TRUST
31 July 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Context
2.0 Background
3.0 Project Purpose
3.1 Project Objectives
3.2 Operational Sites
3.3 Methodology
3.1.1 Seed Fairs at District and National Levels
3.4 Diversity within Crops and Crop Varieties
4.0 The National Seed Fair
4.1 the Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship Award Ceremony
4.2 Selection of District Award Winners
4.3 Institutions Honored for being Stewards of Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation
5.0 Annexure 1: Official opening speech by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanization and
Irrigation development on the occasion of the Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship and Award
Presentation Ceremony on the 25th of July 2014.
6.0 Annexure 2: Profiling the Winner
7.0 Annexure 3: Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship Award Ceremony Program
8.0 Annexure 4: Newspaper Articles Posted on BH24.co.zw
List of Figures
Figure 1: Headman Jamari Listen Atentatively at the Stewardship Award Ceremony in Uzumba
Maramba Pfungwe
Figure 2: Map of Zimbabwe Showing the Operational Districts
Figure 3: Fig 3: Women Farmers Displaying Their Agricultural Biodiversity at a Seed Fair in
UMP
Figure 4: Hilton Mbozi (CTDT officer) Discusses With Wale Farmers to Take an Active Role in
Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation Work.
Figure 5: Women farmers Displays her Wide Crop Diversity at a Seed Fair in Goromonzi
Figure 6: Mr. Andrew Mushita (Director of CTDT) Explains to Hon. Washington Musvaire,
House of Assembly Representative for Uzumba Constituency While Mr. Ndarukwa, the
Provincial Administrator for Mashonaland East Province Looks On.
Figure 7:
Mr. Vukile Moyo (Tsholotsho district) showing his bumper pearl millet harvest
(May 2014)
Figure 8: Factors Contributing to Agricultural Biodiversity and Sustainable Use
Figure 9: Number of male and female exhibitors at seed fairs over 3 years
Figure 10: Crop Diversity Exhibited and Cultivated by Farmers at Household Level in Six
Project Districts
Figure 11: Farmer
Knowledge Exchange Mechanisms
Figure 12: Community Assessing Crop Diversity Using the Diversity Wheel During a Seed Fair
in Goromonzi
Figure 13: The Number of Small Grains varieties Exhibited by the Winning Farmers
Figure 14: Mr. and Mrs. Constance Pondoro Display Their Prize After Winning the Agricultural
Stewardship Award
Figure 15: An Analysis of How Smallholder Farmers Access Seed to Increase Agricultural
Biodiversity at the Household Level
Figure 16: Winning Smallholder Farmers and Representatives of Government Department’s
Display Their Prizes
List of Tables
Table 1: Disaggregated Data of Smallholder Farmers Displaying Agricultural Biodiversity
During Seed Fairs (2012 to 2014) in the 6 Districts
Table 2: Judging Criteria Used to Select the District and National Winners
Table 3 Number of Crops, Crop Varieties and Lines Displayed by the Winning Farmer
1.0 Context
The agrobiodiversity@knowledged Knowledge programme aims to break through the barriers that limit
the scaling up, institution embedding and horizontal extension of practices that build on agricultural
biodiversity improved livelihoods and resilient food systems. Community Technology Development Trust
(CTDT) is part of a global knowledge and experience sharing community (agricultural biodiversity
community abc) of organizations working on agricultural biodiversity with millions of farmers worldwide
to gather, generate, test and share evidence and insights on the conservation and sustainable use of this
important resource. The knowledge programme aims to synthesize knowledge from a local to global
scale, conduct research on approaches and analytical frameworks that produce new perspectives on
agricultural biodiversity and its roles in resilient socio-ecological food systems and improve horizontal
and vertical knowledge flows towards positive change and transformation.
2.0 Background
There has been great concern raised over the increasing loss of plant genetic resources for food and
agriculture in Zimbabwe and worldwide which has led to irretrievable loss of options to ensure food
security. This agricultural biodiversity has since time immemorial being conserved, managed and utilized
by smallholder farmers; the majority of whom live in the low rainfall-low soil fertility agro-ecological
regions of the country. Although smallholder farmers are known for their custodianship for their rich
agricultural biodiversity, distinct cultural heritage and wide gene pool, they face significant
environmental and economic challenges. Climate change threatens their very survival and commercial
agriculture poses a greater danger to their livelihoods which they have practiced over the years.
Smallholder farmers globally face serious food and nutrition security challenges due to their increasingly
high dependence on imported food and food aid at the expense of local, more nutritious diets.
During the last few years, concern has been raised by traditional leaders and other agricultural
conservationists and smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe over the increasing loss of local agricultural
biodiversity and the traditional knowledge related to processing, storage and utilization. These concerns
have been raised after realizing that these losses are causing serious challenges to household food and
nutrition security and the traditional knowledge related to conservation, management and sustainable
use of the agricultural biodiversity. Despite the pressures and challenges of conserving the local crops
and varieties, there are a few individuals, communities and institutions in the country that have directly
and/or indirectly contributed to the conservation and management of the country’s agricultural
biodiversity over the years. These individuals, communities and institutions should be recognized and
rewarded to motivate them to continue conserving and managing the country’s rich agricultural
biodiversity including the related traditional knowledge which is closely linked with the practices. Such
recognition will facilitate sustainable access, utilization and inter-generational transfer of knowledge,
technologies and capacities required to innovatively manage the country’s genetic resource base. It is
essential that there be a mechanism to provide incentives and recognition to enhance biodiversity
conservation strategies. Such recognition could be given to individuals, communities or institutions that
have contributed to biodiversity conservation at local and national levels; practices which others at the
regional and continental levels can adapt and adopt to conserve plant genetic resources from the
genetic to crop and ecosystem levels.
3.0 Project Purpose
The objective of the project was to recognize and reward individuals, institutions and communities in
Zimbabwe for their leadership in agricultural biodiversity conservation and management. In receiving an
award, the winning farmers and institutions that were identified as outstanding had their contributions
profiled in national newspapers and radio programmes and their innovations documented, with
information disseminated to key stakeholders within the political, scientific, and academic and
community levels. As envisioned at the inception and proposal development stage, the stewardship
recognition and award initiative sought to stimulate country-driven processes of enhancing agricultural
biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, through multiple strategic interventions that include
supportive policy frameworks, appropriate scientific technologies and community-based systems.
These processes were intended to inspire a cross-section of practitioners to recognize and reward
agricultural biodiversity conservators. The inaugural event which was attended by parliamentarians,
senators, academics, researchers, traditional and community leaders and hundreds of smallholder
farmers and school children was successful and ensured that the voices of various stakeholders were
heard, including farmers, public and private researchers, academics, women’s groups, farmers
organizations, CBOs, NGOs and the youth. The event also facilitated the sharing of experiences, lessons,
and knowledge across country regional socio-cultural practices. To the youth, the innovations,
technologies and crop diversity displaced provided aspirations or offered an attractive future for
agriculture through creativity, value addition and product development opportunities.
Figure 1: Headman Jamari Listen Atentatively at the Stewardship Award Ceremony in Uzumba
Maramba Pfungwe
3.1 Project objectives:
The objectives of the project were to:







Develop guidelines for specific categories of award winners;
Promote agricultural biodiversity conservators through recognition and rewarding them for their
efforts;
Expose policy-makers, researchers, farmers organizations and NGOs to the farmers practices of
conserving and sustainably utilizing agricultural biodiversity to enhance food and nutrition
security;
Provide a platform for farmers to display their agricultural biodiversity
Select and award prizes to winners for 2014
Profile the winners and increase their visibility in national media platforms and
Organize exposure visits for the winners to other parts of the country.
3.2 Operational sites:
The map of Zimbabwe below shows the districts where individuals and institutions that were considered
for their leadership and innovation in agricultural biodiversity conservation and management are
located.
Fig 2: Map of Zimbabwe Showing the Project Operational Districts
Guruve
Muzarabani
Hurungwe
Lake Kariba
Mt Darwin
Mutoko
Zvimba
Gokwe
Goromonzi
Kadoma
Murehwa
HarHR
Chegutu
Mudzi
.
Bindura
Makonde
Binga
Shamva U.M.P
Mazowe
Kariba
Rushinga
Seke
Eare
Nyanga
Marondera
Makoni
Hwedza
Hwange
Lupane
Nkayi
Chirumhanzu
Buhera
Mutare
Gweru
Bubi
Tsholotsho
Mutasa
Chikomba
Gutu
Umguza
Shurugwi
Chimanimani
Insiza
Bulilimamangwe
Bulawayo
Umzingwane
Zvishavane
Masvingo
Chivi
Bikita
Zaka
Mberengwa
Matobo
Gwanda
Mwenezi
Beitbridge
Chiredzi
Chipinge
All the other districts that are along Zimbabwe’s borders with its neighbours (South Africa, Botswana,
Zambia and Mozambique) generally receive low rainfall and smallholder farming communities in these
areas are keepers of agricultural biodiversity. However, these were not considered during the
implementation period of this project because of the costs of visiting these districts and the project time
frame which was short.
Since December 2013 to July 2014, CTDT organized a total of 10 seed and food fairs in Uzumba
Maramba Pfungwe (UMP), Murehwa, Mutoko, Mudzi, Goromonzi, Chegutu, Rushinga, Tsholotsho and
Chiredzi districts using resources from the agrobiodiversity@knowledged programme. This report
summarizes all the activities that were carried out and the results and outcomes.
3.3 Methodology
3.3.1 Seed fairs at district and national levels
Seed fairs were held to increase awareness, scale up and share the rich knowledge, experiences and
practices that smallholder farmers have on the conservation, management and use of agricultural
biodiversity. The competition started at district level and 10 seed and food fairs were conducted. The
process started with meetings in the districts to raise awareness to traditional leadership. Local
extension officers were also involved in the identification and registration of keepers of crop biodiversity
in their respective wards. The seed fairs attracted 528 exhibitors across the 6 districts. Community
members, traditional leadership, researchers, academics and policy-makers attended the fairs in the
districts.
The fairs were characterized by high level of crop diversity grown on-farm. According to judges’
comments, there was a marked increase in crop diversity in most districts. Agritex officers observed that
over 67% of households in the project areas grew more than 3 crop types during the season. Using
standard criteria, 4 best farmers from each district were selected to participate at the national seed fair
held in UMP.
Fig 3: Women Farmers Displaying their Agricultural Biodiversity at a Seed Fair in UMP
Fig4: Hilton Mbozi (CTDT officer) discusses with male farmers to take an active role in agricultural biodiversity
conservation work.
During the seed fairs, germplasm of the diverse crops was collected by CTDT and National Gene Bank of
Zimbabwe staff for storage in community seed banks and in the national gene bank (NGB). Sub-samples
of germplasm will be sent to the Southern Africa development Community (SADC) regional gene bank
(SPGRC) in Lusaka, Zambia.
Fig 5: Women Farmers Displays Her Wide Crop Diversity at a Seed Fair in Goromonzi
The seed and food fairs will result in an improvement in the number of farmers, politicians, Government
and civil society institutions participating in seed and food fairs thereby facilitating knowledge sharing,
seed exchanges and horizontally and vertically scaling up the practices.
Fig 6: Mr. Andrew Mushita (Director of CTDT) explains to Hon. Washington Musvaire, House of Assembly
representative for Maramba-Pfungwe constituency while Mr. Ndarukwa, the provincial Administrator for
Mashonaland East Province looks on.
The increase in the number of farmers attending the fairs is attributed to the awareness campaigns and
training sessions on plant genetic resources management conducted by CTDT and government
agricultural extension and research staff from the local extension services department, AGRITEX and the
National Gene Bank of Zimbabwe. A total of 18 training sessions were conducted across the 6 districts.
Traditional leaders attended the trainings and were also involved in the awareness campaigns organized
at ward level.
Fig 7: Mr. Vukile Moyo (Tsholotsho District) Showing his Bumper Pearl Millet Harvest (May 2014). He had Grown
3 Pearl Millet Varieties with Different Maturity Dates.
Table 1, below shows the number of smallholder farmer exhibitors in 6 selected districts during the seed
and food fairs which were held during the last 3 years. As a result of the levels of agricultural biodiversity
in high rainfall districts compared to other low rainfall districts, government has noticed the serious
levels of plant genetic resource erosion that is occurring in the country and through the Ministry of
Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development (MAMID) has started crafting an agricultural
biodiversity policy for the country. CTDT is one of the key technical partners to the Ministry of
Agriculture in the development of the policy framework.
Table 1: Disaggregated Data of Smallholder Farmers Displaying Agricultural Biodiversity During Seed
Fairs (2012 to 2014) in the 6 Districts
District
2012
2013
2014
Total
F
M
F
M
F
M
UMP
53
34
58
36
68
44
112
Goromonzi
26
18
34
23
56
31
87
Murehwa
32
23
36
25
42
27
69
Tsholotsho
43
28
47
30
56
36
92
Chiredzi
38
27
43
31
54
34
88
Mutoko
*
*
*
*
48
32
80
192
130
218
145
324
204
Total
* No seed and food fairs were held in this district
The figures in Table 1 above show that the number of exhibitors increased by an average of 11.6% from
2012 to 2014. The exhibitors participated in all the seed fairs in their respective districts. Table 1 above
and Fig 3 below show that there were more women farmers who participated in seed and food fairs
than men over the 3 years, which means that women are more active participants in the conservation,
management and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity. Women keep most of the local crop
varieties that are used in preparing the different food dishes consumed within households on a daily
basis (i.e. small grains, grain legumes and indigenous vegetables). The majority of crop varieties that
male farmers prefer to keep or conserve are the cash crops. However, most of these have to be bought
from the formal seed sector for their high yield potentials under high input conditions and also because
the buyers are concerned with uniformity.
Fig 8: Factors Contributing to Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use
The above factors in Figure 8 are fundamental sources of agricultural biodiversity conservation and
sustainable use which farmers employ. They are the drivers for community based strategies of reintroduction and conservation through sustainable utilization of important agricultural biodiversity that
enhances food and nutrition security at household level. Farmers subject the materials to a number of
factors prior to adoption, utilization and conservation. These factors include storage quality of the crop
varieties, multi-purpose use potential, post harvest processing and product development opportunities,
adaptation to climate change, yield potential, palatability of the products, diseases and pest resistance
importance within their socio-cultural practices.
Farmers in Mutoko district only started to hold seed and food fairs in 2014 after CTDT staff introduced
the concept in the district. A total of 80 farmers (48 women and 32 men) participated in the fair. Table 1
show that the total number of farmers participating in seed and food fairs and displaying their
agricultural biodiversity (male and female) was increasing since 2012. As explained above, the increase
in the number of farmers attending the fairs is attributed to the awareness campaigns and training
sessions on plant genetic resources conservation and management that was conducted by CTDT and
government agricultural extension and research staff from AGRITEX and the National Gene Bank of
Zimbabwe during the reporting period.
Fig 9: Number of Male and Female Exhibitors at Seed Fairs Over 3 Years
3.4 Diversity within crops and crop varieties
All the 10 seed fairs which were held in 2014 were characterized by high crop diversity. A Community
Climate Change Response Project baseline study conducted by CTDT in 2010 show that, on average most
smallholder farmers in the study districts grew only 3 different crops and the diversity at variety level
was very low.
Fig. 10 Crop Diversity Exhibited and Cultivated by Farmers at Household Level in Six Project Districts
In Goromonzi and Murehwa, agricultural biodiversity levels were lowest with farmers almost practicing
mono-cropping due to the promotion of hybrid crops by government and corporate seed companies.
However, since the introduction of seed and food fairs and other related interventions in the districts,
crop diversity at household level has increased from an average of 3 to 5 crop varieties grown in one
season. Levels of crop diversity as shown during the agricultural biodiversity knowledge project and two
other Oxfam Novib funded projects have shown that there is improved crop diversity of cereals and
legumes among the participating smallholder farming households.
Fig.11 Farmer Knowledge Exchange Mechanisms
Figure 11 above highlights diversified mechanisms which farmers rely on with regard to information,
knowledge and technology exchange, sharing and mainstreaming which include farmer to farmer
interaction, trainings, agriculture shows, exchange visits, farmer field schools, field trials, field days and
seed fairs alike. These mechanisms are critical for facilitating frameworks for enhancing and restoration
of genetic resources whilst applying indigenous knowledge systems, distribution of adaptive crop
varieties within the ecological suitable environments.
Non-project beneficiary smallholder farmers equally access different crop varieties from some of the
keepers of diversity through local seed sales and exchange conducted during seed fairs and agriculture
shows.
Assessment of crop diversity was done using diversity wheel tool. Diversity wheel is a methodology
which came from the four cell analysis which was developed by a Nepalese NGO-Local Initiatives for
Biodiversity Research and Development (LI-BIRD). It is a participatory way to assess crop diversity levels
within the community and it helps identify varieties that might be at risk of being lost or becoming
extinct.
Box 1: What is a diversity wheel?
Diversity wheel is a tool used to analyze status of crop diversity within the community.
The idea of the Diversity Wheel came from the “4 cell analysis,” a conceptual framework developed
initially by the Nepalese NGO Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), and
Bioversity International.
What the 5 categories mean:





Many Farmers Large Area- these are common crops in the area including staple food crops
Many Farmers Small Area- not commercially so important crops and are often used as food
supplements. Nutritionally, these are very important crops.
Few Farmers Large Area – crops with a high market value (usually cash crops such as wheat)
Few Farmers Small Area – these are endangered crops and are on the verge of disappearing
Lost diversity – these are crops that the communities have lost but they are very important in
attainment of household food security. Programs to bring them back to communities include
seed fairs, repatriation from gene banks, breeding programs (PPB/PVS) et
CTDT adopted this tool for agricultural biodiversity assessment, identification of lost crop diversity to
facilitate restoration and enhancement and ensuring farmers’ strategies for conservation and
sustainable use. The tool was used to assess the level of crop diversity at each seed fair in all the
districts.
Figure 12: Community Assessing Crop Diversity Using the Diversity Wheel During a Seed Fair in Goromonzi
The crop diversity assessments were linked to the repatriation and regeneration programme jointly run
by CTDT and the National Gene Bank of Zimbabwe and other Government research and development
institutions. For example, communities in Chiredzi asked scientists to bring back lost crop varieties from
the seed bank for further multiplication and re-distribution.
Prizes were awarded to winners at district level. The prizes ranged from small packs of small grains seed,
inputs, monetary to basic farming equipment. The prizes were given to motivate exhibitors and promote
conservation of agro biodiversity.
4.0 The National Seed fair
4.1 The Agro-biodiversity Stewardship Award Ceremony
The Agro-biodiversity Stewardship Award ceremony was held on the 25th of July 2014 in Uzumba
Maramba Pfungwe district where a total of 120 smallholder farmers from 6 out of the 9 project
operational districts of Zimbabwe exhibited their crop diversity. The Deputy Minister of Agriculture,
Mechanization and Irrigation Development who had been invited as the guest of honour could not
attend. The Provincial Administrator who attended the function delivered a key note address on his
behalf to more than 400 smallholder farmers, school children, 2 university professors and 2 PhD
students, 6 district agriculture extension officers, 35 agricultural extension officers, 3 Zimbabwe Farmers
Union officials, 4 Zimbabwe Agriculture Biodiversity Consortium (ZABC) members (FACHG, RUZIVO
Trust), the House of Assembly Representative for Uzumba (Hon Washington Musvaire) and Senator for
Mudzi South and Uzumba constituencies (Hon Mrs. Marble Matirira), 14 heads of UMP district
government departments and 3 traditional leaders (Chiefs Chinyere, Chipfuyamiti and Chinhanga) who
attended the event. (Copy of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture’s speech is attached as Annexure 1)
4.2 Selection of district award winners
The best 4 agricultural biodiversity stewards from the 6 districts were selected during seed fairs that
were held at district level. Using the selection criteria given below, the farmers with the highest diversity
were selected to compete for the National Agricultural-biodiversity Stewardship Award competition
which was held in UMP on the 25th of July 2014. Selection of the best agricultural-biodiversity stewards
was based on selection criteria summarized below which was used across the districts.
The judging criterion used to select the winners is summarized in the table below:
Table 2: Judging Criteria Used to Select the District and National Winners
CRITERIA
1. Number of crops grown
COMMENTS
SCORE
/10
2. Number of crop varieties
/5
3. Number of recovered varieties (lost variety)
/5
i.e. varieties threatened with extinction
4. Number of neglected and under-utilized crop
species
/5
5. Cereals and legumes ratio
/5
6. Quality of seed
/5
7. Suitability of crops/varieties to local climate
/5
8. Correct identification of crop varieties
/5
9. Presentation of displayed crop varieties
/5
TOTAL
/50
The 1st Prize (USD500.00) went to Mrs. Constance Pondoro; a UMP woman farmer who had 140
different crop varieties and lines on display during the stewardship award ceremony (see the farmer
profile in annexure 2).
Table 3 Number of Crops, Crop Varieties and Lines Displayed by the Winning Farmer
Crop
Sorghum
Pearl millet
Local (OPV) maize
Groundnuts
Cowpeas
Bambara nuts
Cleome (Cat’s whiskers)
Okra
Pumpkins
Gourds
Sweet potatoes
Beans
Pigeon peas
Finger millet
Traditional rice
Water melons
Mustard
Amaranths
Pearl millet Advanced
lines
Sorghum Advanced lines
OPV Maize
Total
Crop varieties
First prize winner
13
7
2
14
16
12
2
6
8
8
3
6
2
6
6
7
2
2
10
6
2
140
Second prize winner
Third prize winner
9
8
2
11
9
7
1
4
9
5
1
3
3
4
2
5
0
1
10
6
6
1
7
11
7
0
5
7
3
1
2
1
1
0
3
1
2
10
6
2
102
6
2
82
Fig. 13 The Number of Small Grain Varieties Exhibited by the Winning Farmers
The 2nd and 3rd Prize (USD 300.00 and 200.00) also went to UMP farmers. It was clear from the
competition that diversity was highest in areas where CTDT, AGRITEX and the National Gene Bank of
Zimbabwe have implemented agricultural biodiversity conservation and management programs during
the past 6 to 10 years. For example, CTDT has implemented various agricultural biodiversity
conservation and management interventions in UMP, Tsholotsho and Chiredzi for over one and half
decades now. In Goromonzi and Murehwa, the program was introduced in 2010 whilst no conservation
programs except agriculture field days and shows have been implemented in Mutoko. However, it is
important to note that few individual farmers in these other districts continue to keep their “precious
diversity” hence the need to honor them.
Fig 14: Mr. and Mrs. Constance Pondoro Display their Prize After Winning the Agricultural Stewardship Award
4.3 Institutions Honored for being Stewards of Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation
The National Gene Bank of Zimbabwe (NGBZ) and the Department of Agriculture, Technical and
Extension Services (Agritex) UMP district are the two (2) government institutions that received prizes for
their work and leadership in promoting the conservation, management and sustainable use of plant
genetic resources in Zimbabwe. The NGBZ is the custodian of all plant genetic resources in the country
with over 14 000 accessions of different crops under storage. The department works closely with
farmers, individuals and other like-minded NGOs and civil society in their efforts to conserve
agricultural-biodiversity. The Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe (UMP) district Agritex team from where the
top 3 agricultural biodiversity stewards came from also received a prize and certificate of recognition for
promoting crop diversification among farmers in their district ahead of the other districts in the country.
The respective district Agritex department received the prize for the work the department is doing to
encourage and promote conservation of plant genetic resources. Both institutions (NGBZ and AGRITEX)
walked away with USD500.00 each, in prize money. The money was used to buy a lap top that will be
used to record data on the different crops that are being grown in the district including keeping
electronic copies of the District Agricultural Biodiversity Registers and documenting other activities that
promote conservation, management and sustainable use of plant genetic resources.
The government institutions that were selected and awarded prizes and certificates were selected
based on the following contributions to the conservation, management and sustainable use of plant
genetic resources

Contributions in training smallholder farmers in germplasm collection, germination testing and
storage of the collected materials in community seed banks and sending duplicate samples to the
national gene bank.

Repatriation of lost materials from the gene banks to the communities

Training in the regeneration of germplasm with viability percentages of less than 50% and
multiplication of such materials.

Promotion of crop diversification at household levels through the establishment of demonstration
and trial plots for characterization and crop performance evaluation

Organization and conducting seed and food fairs
Fig. 15 An Analysis of how Smallholder Farmers Access Seed to Increase Agricultural Biodiversity at
the Household Level
Increased agricultural
 National and
biodiversity at household
international
levels
gene banks






Community seed
and food fairs
Community seed
banks
Farmer to
farmer
exchanges and
sales
Seed pass-on
from mother to
daughter
National crop
improvement
programmes
Participatory
varietal selection
programmes
Improved household food
and nutrition security
Restoration and
enhancement of
lost agricultural
biodiversity from
or through:
Knowledge
management and
experience
sharing
shar
Mono-cropping or very low agricultural
biodiversity levels at household levels
Fig 16: Winning Smallholder Farmers and Representatives of Government Departments Display Their Prizes
Annexure 1
Official opening speech by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation
development on the occasion of the Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship and Award Presentation
Ceremony on the 25th of July 2014.
Venue: Chibika Community Seed Bank: Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe District.
The Minister of State Responsible for Provincial Affairs for Mashonaland East Province Hon S.
Mudarikwa
 Hon. Musvaire, House of Assembly Representative for Maramba Constituency and host MP
 The Director of Community Technology Development Organization
 Chiefs Chinyere, Chipfuyamiti and Chinhanga
 Headman Jamari and other traditional leaders here present
 Senior Government officials here present
 Lecturers from academic institutions
 Representatives of development partners
 Ladies and gentleman
 Comrades and friends
Let me start by thanking the organizers for inviting me to officiate at such an important event.
Community Technology Development Organization, commonly known here in UMP as COMMUTECH has
been implementing different projects in a number of districts of our country since 1993. One of the
projects that this organization is currently implementing is the “Knowledge Management Programme on
Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation” which is being implemented in Chiredzi, Goromonzi, Mutoko,
Murehwa, Tsholotsho and Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe with funding support from HIVOS and Oxfam
Novib.
The “Knowledge Management Project on Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation” project is based on the
fact that Zimbabwe has a wide diversity of crop plants and livestock which to a large extent are
managed by smallholder farmers. Great concern has been raised in some circles at the rate at which our
diverse crops and crop varieties are being lost. The crop varieties are being lost at an alarming rate
leading to an irretrievable loss of options to ensure food and nutrition security at the household levels.
While our country is not a centre of origin of the crops on display today many of them have adapted to
our environment after being grown within our communities by our great grand fathers. These
indigenous crops and crop varieties are making significant contribution to household food and nutrition
security at the household level. The same crops have great potential and can make important
contribution towards making Zimbabwe re-establish its Food Basket status for the SADC region a reality
again if additional support and market incentives are clearly defined. Not only will this happen; the
country will further reduce the perennial challenges of FOOD and NUTRITION INSECURITY among
Zimbabweans.
For this to happen we need to promote conservation and sustainable utilization of many different crops
that farmers in our country grow. Within these traditional crops and crop varieties there are genes that
can help us fight the pressing challenges being posed by climate change induced droughts, pests and
diseases and declining soil fertility.
Within our communities and work places, there are known individuals, community leaders, government
departments, civil society institutions and private sector players that have contributed or are
contributing directly or indirectly to the existence, development and promotion of our agricultural
biodiversity wealth. There is need to RECOGNISE AND REWARD these individuals, community leaders,
government and civil society institutions and other private sector players for their leadership and efforts
so that they continue to further develop and/or enhance their efforts to conserve crop genetic
biodiversity especially now that the country is facing challenges presented by climate change.
Today we are going to award winners: these are individuals, district and institutional categories of
agricultural biodiversity conservators. For each category, the judging team used the following criteria to
select winners:
(i)
Individual winners
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(ii)
Farmers displaying a wide range of different crops
Farmers displaying a wide range of varieties within each crop.
Farmers displaying some of the Neglected and Under-utilized crop Species (NUS)
Farmers displaying balanced cereal to legumes ratio
Farmers displaying seed of the highest quality
Farmer displaying seed that is suitable for the agro-ecological region from which he/she comes.
Farmers who correctly identified crop varieties displayed
Farmers who have demonstrated that they are conserving and sustainably utilizing their plant
genetic resources
Presentation of the displays
District winners
Winners under this category will be the district team of the Department of Agricultural, Technical
and Extension Services (Agritex) with the highest number of winners (highest number in the top
10)
(iii)
Institutional winners:
Here we are looking at:
 contribution to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources
 Providing leadership and policy guidance to farmers, state actors and other stakeholders on how
best local plant genetic diversity can be conserved and sustainably managed.
The recognition and awards that will be given to winners will motivate them and their peers to
contribute to sustainable access, utilization and inter-generational transfer of knowledge, technologies
and capacities required to continue managing our SOVEREIGN ZIMBABWE’S genetic resource base.
The Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship and Recognition Awards are therefore designed to:

Recognize those individuals, communities, institutions and private sector players that are
contributing to agricultural biodiversity conservation at the community and national levels.
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Profile the visibility of these conservators of Zimbabwe’s important crop genetic resources and in
a small way REWARD them for their efforts.
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Contribute to initiatives that will stimulate Zimbabwe driven processes of enhancing conservation
and sustainable use, practices and other strategic interventions that include supportive POLICY
FRAMEWORKS, APPROPRIATE SCIENTIFIC TECHNOLOGIES AND OTHER COMMUNITY BASED
SUPPORT SYSTEMS.
I take this opportunity to thank CTDT for coming up with such an initiative which could be adopted by
my ministry and its departments that this occasion becomes National Event where the AWARD
WINNERS for the different categories are profiled at the NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND GLOBAL levels.
At the same time, I would also like to thank HIVOS and Oxfam Novib for jointly providing the financial
support to kick-start such a noble initiative. I call upon other like-minded organizations to support such
a noble cause.
Finally I would like to pay tribute to farmers who continuously conserve and sustainably utilize our
valued plant genetic resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
Thank you
Annexure 2
Profiling the winner
Mrs. Costance Pondoro and Husband (picture on the left) and their crop diversity (picture on the right)
First Prize - $500.00 + 5 bags of organic fertilizers
The first prize when to Constance Pondoro, 56 years old woman of Chiunze 1 ward, UMP. Constance is
married to Mathias Chindoko and they have four children (3 boys and 1 girl). The family owns 4 hectares
of land where they grow their crops and rear livestock. The farming practice is basically mixed, focusing
on both small and large livestock and small grains.
Constance grows and manages more 140 different crops, crop varieties and advanced lines in one
season (23 sorghum, 13 pearl millet, 12 bambara, 16 groundnuts, 18 cowpeas, 6 traditional rice, 8
melons, 6 okra, 12 finger millet, 8 pumpkin, 5 local maize, 6 beans, 3 sweet potatoes and more than 5
indigenous vegetable varieties). She grows a mix of cereals, legumes and vegetable crops. This wide crop
diversity has been instrumental in achieving household food security. In terms of managing this
diversity, the crops are largely intercropped. Sole or mono-cropping is rarely done. In terms of labour,
the family provides and hired labour is used when demand is high.
UMP is a dry area with few dams. Like other households around, the family uses a borehole to irrigate
vegetables in a 0,2ha garden. A wide range of vegetables (indigenous and exotic) are grown for
household consumption. The indigenous vegetables include Amaranthus hybridus, cleome and mustard.
The surplus is sold and it generates the much needed household income. On average the family
generates over $400.00 per year from vegetable sales.
Livestock production is a sideline activity which compliments crop production. The family owns 9 herd of
cattle, 16 goats, 60 chickens and 50 guinea fowls. Livestock provide organic manure which is used in
crop production. Manure is used in both garden and field crops.
Constance has participated in seed fairs and community seed banking related programs for the past one
and half decades. She has 154 germplasm family collections stored in the community seed bank. The
family has managed to keep 2 unique varieties of sorghum and 1 pearl millet variety which are no longer
common in the community. She believes the seed bank is an important facility where seed can be kept
safely. She remarked, “Storage facilities at home are not good and we used to incur heavy storage loses
even for grain. In 2002/03 season, the majority of farmers here failed to plant crops because they did
not have seed following the 2001/02 season drought. I went to the seed bank and got 15kg of pearl
millet seed enough to plant 2 hectares. I managed to plant with the first rains and l got more than 4t. l
also shared seed to other neighbors who had nothing to plant”. On the seed fairs, Constance said,
“today, l have all this diversity in custody and always scout for more during seed fairs. When l get the
seed through exchange, l always try to plant this seed in the garden to multiply, observe how it performs
before sending it for safe keeping in the seed bank”
National coverage of the Stewardship Award Ceremony
 CTDT supported Constance to attend the Mashonaland East Provincial Agricultural Show which
was held on 31 July – 2 August 2014 and will support her to attend and display her crop
diversity at Harare Agriculture show which will be held from 20 – 20 August 2014 in Harare.
 Constance was interviewed on national radio (the Hub program) – a phone-in program where
the public phoned and get more information on agro-biodiversity conservation,
management and sustainable use. Most of the questions asked during the phone-in radio
programme centred on how farmers like Constance manage to keep such wide agricultural
biodiversity on their farms which she responded to the satisfaction of the listeners.
 Two newspaper articles appeared in the Herald, the Government nation-nation newspaper (see
annexure 3)
Annex 3 AGRICULTURAL-BIODIVBERSITY STEWARDSHIP AWARD CEREMONY
PROGRAM
CHIBIKA COMMUNITY SEED BANK (UMP)
25 JULY 2014
Master of Ceremony: Alderman Manguwo: Council Chairman UMP Zvataida district
TIME
ACTIVITY
1000 Hrs
Arrival of Guests
National Anthem/Prayer
1015 Hrs
Introductions- Mr. M Kadaira: DA UMP district
1030 Hrs
Welcome remarks – MP Hon. Musvaire
1040 Hrs
Guests tour the seed bank and crop diversity displays
Judges’ Comments – AGRITEX
Entertainment
1140 Hrs
Speech - CTDT Executive Director
Entertainment
1200 Hrs
Speech – Minister of State for Provincial Affairs
Entertainment
1220 Hrs
Speech – Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development-Hon
Zhanda
1245 Hrs
Presentation of prizes to winners
1300 Hrs
Vote of thanks – Chief Chinyerere
1305 Hrs
Lunch
1400 Hrs
Farmers exchange seed
1430 hrs
Departure
Annex 4: Newspaper articles posted on
BH24.co.zw
Small grains to boost food security: Made
Posted On 28 Jul 2014 By: Funny Hudzerema
Comment: 0
The Government has called on
smallholder farmers to increase the production of small grains to boost food security in
semi-arid regions and the country as a whole.
In a speech read on his behalf at the Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship and Award
presentation ceremony in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe last week, Minister of Agriculture
Joseph Made said smallholder farmers play a critical role in developing crop varieties which
suit their climate to produce high yields.
“These indigenous crops and crop varieties are making significant contribution to household
food and nutrition security. The same crops have great potential and can make important
contribution towards making Zimbabwe re-establish its Food Basket status for the SADC
region, a reality again if additional support and market incentives are clearly defined,” he
said. He said Government would promote conservation and sustainable utilization of the
crops grown in the country.
The award ceremony sought to identify farmers from Tsholotsho, Chiredzi, Goromonzi,
Murehwa, Mutoko and UMP who promote agricultural bio-diversity. The farmers have
developed their landless farmer varieties in different crops which include rapoko, sorghum,
maize and wheat to suit their areas.
Community Technology Development Organisation director Andrew Mushita said
government must empower people to develop their own seeds to save money spent on
purchasing seeds every year.
“The role of smallholder farmers in seed saving is a crucial part of their learning and
contributes to the preservation of indigenous knowledge that supports local foods reliant on
traditional breeds and varieties that bring clear and wider food security and environmental
benefits,” he said
23.July 2014.
Farmers to receive awards
Sifelani Tsiko
Senior Writer-Herald
Smallholder farmers from six rural districts in the country will on Friday receive awards for
demonstrating outstanding achievement in conserving local crop breeds and varieties critical for
the survival of the country’s indigenous food crop resources.
Farmers who will be honoured as the best stewards of agricultural biodiversity are from
Tsholotsho, Chiredzi, Goromonzi, Murehwa, Mutoko and Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe (UMP).
Community Technology Development Organization (CTDT) director, Mr Andrew Mushita told
the Herald yesterday that the Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship Award ceremony which will
be held at Chibika Community Seed Bank in UMP district seeks to encourage farmers to
develop a greater understanding of crop diversity and the role it plays in improving their
livelihoods particularly now when the country is facing climate change related challenges.
“We want to honour the real champions and stewards of crop diversity,” he said. “The awards
aim to record and celebrate the cultural traditions associated with indigenous seed varieties that
have sustained human life here for ages.”
The awards, he said, will help rekindle interest in traditional foods strengthening the economic
rationale for promoting crop diversity especially those that bring food security and conservation
benefits.
“The role of smallholder farmers in seed saving is a crucial part of their learning and contributes
to the preservation of indigenous knowledge that supports local foods reliant on traditional
breeds and varieties that bring clear and wider food security and environmental benefits,” Mr
Mushita said.
“The awards recognize the hard work and efforts farmers are making to preserve local crop
varieties.”
CTDT, a local NGO, is implementing a Knowledge Management Programme on Agricultural
Biodiversity Conservation project in selected districts of Zimbabwe.
The project aims to scale-up and strengthen practices that build on the conservation and
sustainable use of agricultural-biodiversity for improved livelihoods and resilient food systems
especially under the changing climatic conditions that are being experienced in Zimbabwe.
Agricultural experts say the world’s agro-biodiversity is disappearing at an alarming rate. For
several major crops, up to 80–90 percent losses in variety over the past century have been
reported.
Zimbabwe has lost a number of local crop varieties due to neglect, erosion of local indigenous
knowledge systems, promotion of improved varieties, lack of incentives for locally adapted crops
and recognition of the keepers of crop diversity among other factors.
Public health experts and agriculturalist bemoan the erosion of indigenous vegetables such as
tsunga, cleome (nyevhe, mutsine, okra, and indigenous crop varieties such as sorghum, pearl
and finger millets, cowpeas, bambara nuts and other neglected and under-utilized crop species
(NUS) such as taro and madhumbe which they argue are important in improving the nutrition of
people particularly now when there is a rise in non-communicable diseases such as cancer,
diabetes and others.
They say it was worrying that the consumption of indigenous vegetables, cereals and legumes
had declined sharply with the introduction and aggressive promotion of exotic vegetables
(cabbages, spinach, carrots, and broccoli) and other fast foods.
They also bemoaned the disappearance of traditional granaries through which forefathers for
centuries conserved and preserved their seed material for sowing and the grains for
consumption.
“So it is important to recognise and honour farmers who are champions and always act as seed
savers and plant breeders who are always renewing the indigenous seed stocks,” Mr Mushita
said.