Agroecology results win over skeptics

Purity Chenjerayi (34) from Ndoorwi village in Gutu District, Masvingo province says after years of applying synthetic fertilisers, soils in her fields had become depleted and could not support crop life. She is now applying agroecology practices such as digging trenches for water harvesting and preparing organic fertilisers to improve soils fertility. Photo: PELUM ZWE.

By Purity Chenjerai (34)

My name is Purity Chenjerayi and I am 34 years old. I come from Ndoorwi village in Gutu District, Masvingo province. A few years ago, my family used to be like most of the families in my community. We struggled to put food on the table, let alone ensure a balanced diet and get income from our farming activities. However, today my family is known in the community as one that is food, nutrition and income secure.

Before being introduced and trained on agroecology, I used to grow crops using synthetic fertilizers and hybrid seeds which costed me a lot of money. Every year I would struggle to raise enough capital for my farming operations.

In August 2020, the Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmer's Forum (ZIMSOFF) organized a workshop on agroecology at our Chief’s homestead. The training focused on agroecological aspects such as making organic fertilisers, growing cover crops such as cowpeas, growing traditional grains and water harvesting. I learned a lot about agroecology and its benefits through that workshop.

After the training, I made the decision to introduce agroecology practices in my farming operations. I started by planting diverse crops which included finger millet, sorghum, cowpeas, groundnuts, and Bambara nuts in the 2020 farming season.

I was able to provide a balanced diet for my family. My crops performed well, and my farming was less costly because I was using organic fertilisers which build the soil and are prepared from locally available material such as livestock droppings and crop residue.

When I started applying agroecology, people in my village took it for granted. Some even argued that farming can never be successful without chemical based external agricultural inputs.

However, after seeing me increasing my yields using agroecology practices, some of those farmers became interested and they have started adopting agroecology. I am now championing agroecology and I encourage all farmers and youths in particular to adopt agroecology because it is a system that caters for future generations.