An exhibition of local traditional seeds that are produced by farmers in Mwenezi at the Mwenezi Good Food and Seed Festival held at David Seth Foundation member, Mwenezi Development Centre (MDTC). Picture by Deltahcuti Dube/David Seth Foundation

Over the last decade, climate change and unsustainable farming practices have destroyed the environment, leaving families and communities adversely affected by food insecurity and on the brink of starvation.

Farming communities in Mwenezi district, Masvingo province have begun popularizing local seed and food festivals where farmers are learning about traditional seeds and crop varieties as climate change adaptation as well as seed and food sovereignty strengthening mechanisms.

To this end, Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe member and Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP) Partner, Mwenezi Development Training Centre (MDTC) hosted a district food and seed festival in Mwenezi on 18 October 2023. The festival brought together farmers and various stakeholders from across Mwenezi to share, exchange and trade seeds and the accompanying knowledge.

Shanangu Matutu (53) is a small-scale farmer from ward 4 in Mwenezi who has been taking part in the decentralized food and seed festivals. She also took part in the 2023 festival and says the festivals have played a big role in shifting mindsets of the community towards traditional grains.

“It’s so great to see everyone coming together to learn and share. These events have greatly changed my life, our community’s attitudes towards traditional grains have begun to shift positively. We eagerly look forward to the festival every year,” says Shanangu.

Simbisai Machava (60) is another a small-scale farmer based in Mwenezi. She has been working with MDTC for many years. She says the festivals play a critical role in strengthening the capacity of farmers to adapt to climate change.

“It is amazing to see so many people engaged and interested in these ideas. The festival felt like a real turning point for our community. The participation is really higher than before. Farmers are learning climate adaptation mechanisms for improved food security through such platforms,” says Simbisai.

Denhere Jamtious (49), district Agronomist in Mwenezi district says the festivals provide clear evidence of the benefits of Agroeoclogical practices and the community is beginning to realise them.

“The increased attendance at the festival was a sign of how the ideas being promoted are starting to take hold in the community. People are beginning to see the benefits of sustainable farming practices, both for their own livelihoods and for the environment,” says Denhere.

The David Seth Foundation coordinated Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP) holds annual decentralized festivals in an effort to facilitate sharing, trade and exchange of farmer seeds and to promote Agroecological farming practices as well as the consumption of traditional foods.

Callisto Nhamo (32), a youth from Nhamo village in Bikita, Masvingo province says after spending eight years working in towns, he resolved to go back home to start farming projects and he is now practising Agroecology after attending a training workshop organised by David Seth Foundation member, SCOPE Zimbabwe. Photo: David Seth Foundation

By Calisto Nhamo

When I completed my secondary school, I was like many youths who grow up in rural areas, eager to leave my rural home and head for the city, where I would get a good job and make it big in life. So, in 2007 I left my rural home in Bikita and for eight years I worked for different companies in Mutare, Harare and Bulawayo, the three biggest cities in Zimbabwe. However, after those eight years of working, I realised that I was not ‘making it big in the city.’

In 2015, with much disappointment, I decided to move back home to establish some farming projects as a way of supporting my family. However, the only farming I knew was the conventional system. I began growing cash crops such as maize, tomatoes and potatoes using synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.

This quickly put a big strain on my finances because synthetic fertilisers and hybrid seeds are very expensive. For example, at the shops close to my home, a 50kg bag of Compound D cost US$50 and Topdressing fertiliser costs US$65. I ended up spending money I didn’t have on inputs and could never really make any meaningful profits so I found myself struggling to make a living again.

After seven years of this struggle, I participated in a workshop that was organised by Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme (SCOPE) Zimbabwe to teach smallholder farmers about agroecology. It was at that workshop that my eyes were opened and I learnt about the problems that arise as a result of applying synthetic fertilisers and chemicals on the soil. I learned that there was another way, a much cheaper and more sustainable way of enhancing the fertility of my soil, by using organic fertilisers.

SCOPE Zimbabwe took us through a training on making these organic fertilisers and after the training, I was very inspired and made the decision to start practicing agroecology. I have been practicing Agroecology since that training in October 2022 and I have realised its potential not just in the money I can save by no longer buying synthetic fertilisers and hybrid seed but also in the diversity and quality of my produce.

I want to thank SCOPE Zimbabwe for introducing agroecology methods of food production. I want to practise it on the ground and I want to be an agroecology ambassador in my community.

Time & Location

01 Oct,2020, 15:00 SAST – 03 Oct,2020, 19:00 SAST

Facebook @TOFFZim and @playafrikatv

About the Event

The Traditional and Organic Food Forum brings you the 3-day Urban Farming  running from 1 to 3 October (3pm – 7pm Central African Time). The event which has been traditionally held at the Harare Botanical Gardens will be celebrated virtually this year due to COVID-19  restrictions. The virtual event will feature cooking demos, talks on critical issues such as agroecology, nutrition, indigenous knowledge and climate change mitigation and urban agriculture, stories from smallholder farmers, children’s activities including stories, cooking and traditional dance. Celebrate with us on facebook @TOFFZim and @playafrikatv

Time & Location

29 Sept,2021, 14:00 SAST – 30 Sept,2021, 18:00 SAST

Facebook @TOFFZim and @playafrikatv

About the Event

PELUM  Zimbabwe is inviting you to the 2021 Zimbabwe National Seed and Food  Festival. As has been the tradition, the celebrations will run over  three days. However, to reduce the risk of COVID-19  spread at the celebrations, the first two days of the festival (i.e. 29  and 30 October 2021) will be held virtually. It will be live streamed  on Facebook Pages  @TOFFZim and @playafrikatv  from 2pm to 6pm CAT. The last day of the festival will be held physically at the Harare Botanical Gardens on Saturday 02 October 2021 from 9am to 3.30pm. 

Join  us as we celebrate Zimbabwe’s diverse Food and Seed. On the programme  we have music, drama, dialogues, cooking demonstrations, stories from  the field, seed swapping and trade, children-oriented  activities and many

Time & Location

29 Sept, 08:00 SAST – 30 Sept, 08:00 SAST

Harare, 53X3+7C7, 30 Sandringham Dr, Harare, Zimbabwe

About the Event

The 2023 Zimbabwe Food and Seed Festival coordinated by David Seth Foundation and Bio Innovation Zimbabwe will kick start on 29 October and end on 30 October 2023 at the Harare Botanical Gardens.

The Festival is running under the theme, “Celebrating the wonder of Zimbabwean Millets”.

The PELUM Association will join in the celebration by supporting more than 20 participants from eight African countries to participate in the Food and Seed Festival.

Multi-stakeholders are expected to join in the celebrations as we promote healthy eating and support scale-scale farmers to trade and exchange diverse farm-saved seeds of high quality and seed knowledge.

Join us as we celebrate our indigenous seeds and traditional foods!

Judith Matiashe (23) is a young woman from Matiashe village in Chimanimani district who has been inspired to begin her own Agroecology business. Judith says working with David Seth Foundation member, Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organisation (TSURO) Trust has helped her to understand how post-harvest losses and off-season shortages of fruits and vegetables are a viable business opportunity. Photo David Seth Foundation

Sustainable agriculture is something I had never given much thought to, growing up in my village in Chimanimani district, my parents practiced conventional farming and for me it was the correct way of food production.

It was only when I was engaged by Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organisation (TSURO) Trust as an intern in the Monitoring and Evaluation department that I was exposed to sustainable agricultural practices, and as I interacted with Chimanimani farmers, I began to understand the dangers posed and perpetrated by conventional farming and the advantages of the sustainable farming model called Agroecology.

As I did my work, I met many farmers but one particular farmer made a lasting impression on me. His name is Jacob Mukunukuji (28), a young man from Marumauta village in ward 13 of Chimanimani district.

Before Jacob started working with TSURO Trust, he really struggled to provide for and support his family. Jacob was somewhat like me; he was not really a farmer and got most of his food requirements from shops and local producers.

Jacob’s story and lifestyle however began to change in 2015 when he began practicing Agroecology as a result of participating in workshops held by TSURO Trust. Jacob was trained on food processing of black jack, rape, honey, bananas, sugar cane, mangos and groundnuts.

After the training TSURO Trust further supported him with a solar dryer to enable him to dry his produce in a way that preserves nutrients and maintains good hygiene. TSURO Trust also provided machines for honey processing and peanut butter processing.

Jacob used the machinery, knowledge, and skills he had acquired to start a profitable Agroecological business. He began value addition of fruits, vegetables and honey and it transformed his life. His customer base has really grown because his products are of high quality and he has moved from earning around USD$75 -150 monthly when he first started in 2020 to approximately USD$280 from peanut butter processing and USD$400 from honey processing net per month. In addition, Jacob has employed three workers from the community. His business has not only turned his life around but also benefited his community.

Jacob’s success as a youth is what has really inspired me. I now have a full picture of what agroecology is all about. I now understand the importance of producing food without using unsustainable means. I have made it my goal to learn as much about Agroecology as I can before my internship with TSURO ends because I plan to set up my own agroecology system where I will be producing healthy foods for household consumption or for sell

The David Seth Foundation is dedicated to fostering innovative solutions and projects that address critical social issues, particularly in the realms of education, healthcare, and community development. The foundation emphasizes a human-centric approach, aligning with modern leadership philosophies that prioritize people over profit.

The foundation supports educational programs that enhance learning opportunities for underserved communities. This includes funding for scholarships, mentorship programs, and innovative teaching methods that engage students in meaningful ways.

The David Seth Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and advocating for individuals affected by traumatic brain injuries (TBI), apraxia, and aphasia. Through various campaigns, the foundation aims to educate the public about these conditions, promote inclusion, and provide support for those impacted.

The foundation conducts awareness initiatives that focus on educating communities about the effects of TBIs. These campaigns often include informational workshops, community events, and social media outreach designed to inform the public about prevention strategies, recovery processes, and available resources for individuals with brain injuries.

The David Seth Foundation is dedicated to improving health and nutrition, particularly for underserved populations. The foundation’s programs are designed to address the critical issues of food insecurity, malnutrition, and overall health disparities. Here’s a detailed breakdown of their initiatives: The foundation emphasizes the importance of nutritional education as a cornerstone of its mission. These programs aim to teach individuals and families about healthy eating habits, meal planning, and the benefits of consuming whole foods. Workshops and seminars are often conducted in community centers, schools, and local organizations to reach a broad audience.