1. 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

2. 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 2

3. 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 3

4. 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 4

5. 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 5

6. Zimbabwe
Gokwe North
Gokwe South
Nyanga 6

7. Comparison of maize yields grown in CA planting basins, Zimbabwe (CIMMYT)7

8. Value of Conservation Agriculture even if simply to plant on time!
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 8

9. 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

10. 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

11. Malachy Harty, Trocaire Development Review, 12/11/10

12. 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

13. 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

14. No magic bullets 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