Smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe are now realizing the benefits of biodiversity at household level. One such farmer, Kelfas Hove (62) says this has contributed to achieving food security within his household.
Kelfas says he got the idea of practicing biodiversity from other farmers in his community and since adopting the practice, he has managed to grow diverse crops and trees and keep livestock.
“My journey started after I had talked to other local smallholder farmers and learned about biodiversity. I then started to grow different types of plants such as sorghum, finger millet, beans, groundnuts, round nuts and cowpeas on my one-hectare piece of land. I also began to diversify livestock farming by adding goats, chickens and turkeys to my cattle herd,” says Kelfas.
To strengthen food security, Kelfas says he also expanded his orchard by growing more trees such as orange, lemon, apple, mango, jackal-berry (shumha) and snot apple (mutohwe) trees.
Kelfas says biodiversity helps to improve pollination and pest regulation. It also improves water regulation and soil fertility. Kelfas says working together with other smallholder farmers has brought immense changes in the community as there is knowledge sharing and support.
“We help each other in acquiring knowledge and skills as farmers so that we improve our yields through exchanging ideas. It is also easy for us to bring in external experts to help us as a group rather than invite them as an individual,” says Kelfas.
Kelfas says since adopting biodiversity, his life has changed as he is now providing adequate food for his family.
“I am food secure and nutrition within my household has improved. I sell some cattle, goats, turkey and chickens to raise income for other household expenses. I sell grains to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). I intend to use part of my income to drill a borehole,” says Kelfas.
Elias Ncube (64) a trainer and consultant at the Africa Center for Holistic Management (ACHM) says biodiversity at homestead level is important for economic, ecological life support, recreation, cultural and scientific purposes.
“Biodiversity is important because it sinks carbon into the soil. This mitigates the effects of climate change. Biodiversity also helps to regulate pests and diseases. Diversity means clean water, clean air and healthy people,” says Elias
Never Mujere (50), director of the Environmental Management Trust says agricultural systems should mimic functional local ecosystems where there is tight nutrient cycling, complex structure and enhanced biodiversity.
”Diversified farming practices significantly offer farmers multiple benefits which includes pest and disease management, enhanced productivity, economic viability, soil fertility improvement and ecological adaptability,” says Never.
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