Zimbabwe urged to review its food system

John Wilson (right with hand raised) shares his sentiments on small grains and food systems during the Multi Actors Dialogue, where the conversation revolved around how the current food system is detrimental to the environment, to health and to food sovereignty of smallholder farmers. Photo: Theophilus Mudzindiko/PELUM Zimbabwe

Stakeholders gathered at the Multi Actors Dialogue held on 20 September 2018 at Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre in Mount Hampden, Zimbabwe were urged to review Zimbabwe’s current food system in order to address multiple challenges related to seed, health and nutrition.

John Wilson, a Free-range Consultant who has been working on food systems for more than three decades challenged Zimbabweans to review the nation’s food value system in order to address gaps and explore opportunities of reviving seed and promote the consumption of nutrient dense foods in sufficient quantities.

“One of the critical things is that we need to start thinking more ambitiously. We need to think about the whole food value web. I prefer the phrase, ‘food value web’ rather than ‘food value chains’ because chains are what we currently have where farmers are chained to food production systems where they do not benefit”, said John.

“For example, presently you can get small grains in supermarkets but they are exorbitantly expensive, so we need to think, ‘how do we get small grains to consumers in a regular way but also in a way in which the farmers benefit from a decent price but the consumers do not have to spend too much?’

John further highlighted the need to create a demand for small grains, based on market systems that reach consumers directly and are not dependent on the current dominant food systems. He said establishment of such a system would stimulate farmers to produce small grains.

“Currently the demand is already there because of an increase in cases of diabetes in Zimbabwe. Most diabetic patients are being advised by doctors to eat small grains and other healthy foods, so there is an opportunity,” said John.

John added that people are also beginning to recognise the value of small grains and this should stimulate demand of the product on the market. He highlighted that sustainable food production systems in Zimbabwe are already in place. What is needed is to strengthen them and further develop them as Centres of Excellence so that they can act as learning sites which can influence agriculture, nutrition and climate change strategies for Zimbabwe.

“We have good examples like in Gutu where finger millet production has grown significantly in the last 10 years. We need to take farmers from elsewhere to Gutu to learn and take the experience back to their own communities and start pushing the production of small grains,” said John.