Food and Nutrition Promotion: Feasibility of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation

Abstract

Zimbabwe has faced persistent droughts from around year 1990 to date posing a structural food security challenge to the populace. Recently, the government of Zimbabwe introduced a blue print to spearhead and map sustainable balance in tapping value from the available natural and man-made resources in the country. This is known as the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-economic Transformation Programme (Zim Asset). Amongst its prospects, agriculture and nutrition has been reckoned as a sustainable cluster for economic development. This study was undertaken one and half years after the implementation of Zim Asset as an evaluation mechanism on the successes and challenges faced in transforming the Zimbabwean economy with specific reference to the Food and Nutrition Cluster. The study employed both post positivism and interpretivism philosophies applying quantitative and qualitative approaches in gathering research data. The research instruments included documentary evidence, face to face in-depth interviews and focus groups. The in-depth interviews explored issues to do with resources allocation in line with the Zim Asset agriculture sustenance objectives. Focus was therefore, on the four Ministries supporting the Food and Nutrition Cluster. Eighty percent of the respondents reported that the economic blue print has not made any significant strides in improving the country’s agricultural performance and food security since the inception of Zim Asset in October 2013. It was noted that the country continued to import maize from Zambia and other countries in the region. The major reason for its lack of success was due to the unavailability of resources to support the programme and the fact that land was allocated to unproductive and cell phone farmers. There was consensus that land audit and recapitalisation of the agriculture sector were critical in achieving the desired outcomes. The study recommends that the programme be adequately funded, so that the country can become self-sufficient.