Traditional vegetables in Zimbabwe: the NGO agenda

Andrew Mushita
Community Technology Development Association, Harare, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is divided into five major types of land-use categories. Table 1 shows land distribution by agro-ecological regions and farming systems.

Table 1. Distribution of land categories by agro-ecological regions.

			Commercial farms		Resettlement models
Region	State	Communal	Large	Small	A	B
I	8.2	0.7	3.0	0.5	0.4	27.7
II	1.3	8.7	28.6	17.8	18.5	48.9
III	18.6	17.1	17.5	37.9	46.9	29.4
IV	27.7	47.6	25.2	36.9	30.9	-
V	43.7	25.7	25.7	6.4	3.8	-
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%

Zimbabwe has a population of more than 12 million, of which 75% live in communal areas, 90% of which are located in natural regions III, IV and V. The majority of the people in the communal areas are smallholder farmers who depend solely on subsistence agriculture for their survival. Communal lands are the most densely populated areas and land is used mainly for subsistence rain-fed agriculture and for grazing.

Modernization of agriculture has included the introduction of exotic species and varieties of vegetables in most developing countries, and Zimbabwe is no exception. Though vegetable production in the communal sector has been increased by the introduction of new genetic material and by improved husbandry, large sectors of the agricultural economies and communities of developing countries have not benefited from such developments. As a result, large groups of farmers have been marginalized. One important reason is that sustainability of the supply of improved seeds is often limited due to organizational and other problems; another is limited water resources. A modern commercial food industry means that the nation increasingly depends on cash. Lack of cash translates into lack of food and often leads to malnutrition.

At the same time, genetic resources of wild and semi-wild indigenous plants are rapidly being lost, for example as a result of vegetation change due to overgrazing, collection of fuelwood and bush-clearance for human settlement, agriculture and other uses. There is growing concern over this loss, as it implies reduced food security for households since indigenous wild and semi-wild plants often form an important complementary food source. Food security in the communal farming sector is subject to many variables and it has become more apparent that it can only be achieved by a combination of both exotic and indigenous food crops. The nutritional role of adapted indigenous food plants can no longer be ignored.

The research agenda for indigenous vegetables

The Community Technology Development Association (COMMUTECH) intends to collect data on the variety of indigenous food plants, especially vegetables species, covering the different ecological regions of the country (Table 2). No comprehensive attempt has yet been made in Zimbabwe to assess the significance of indigenous vegetables, whether wild or cultivated, on the alleviation of household hunger. Fragmented attempts to implement nutrition programmes through village gardens have been a step toward addressing household food availability, but the focus has been to encourage farmers to grow crops of exotic origin requiring high levels of inputs, which are not always available and are costly. A good example is the handout produced by National Agricultural Extension Services Unit promoting what is known as group vegetable gardens for nutritional self-sufficiency. The list of recommended winter vegetables reads: cabbage, rape, chomoiller, pea, cowpea, carrot, beetroot, tomato, eggplant, irish potato, pepper, onion, shallot, spinach, lettuce, maize, beans, pumpkin, okra and sweet potato. The only vegetable in this list which is indigenous is okra (derere), but in fact it is not the traditional material that is being recommended but a hybrid.

Table 2. Zimbabwean indigenous vegetables.

Scientific name	Shona name	Ndebele name
Amaranthus hybridus	Mova guru	Imbuya
Amaranthus thumbergii	Mova	Imbuya
Bidens pilosa	Nhungunira	Ucucuza
Cleome gynandra	Nyeve/runi	Elude
Corchorus olitorius	Nyenje/gusha	Idelele
Vigna unguiculata	Nyemba	Indumba

Throughout history, wild vegetables played a significant role in the daily diet of the indigenous people of Zimbabwe. Even now, this role has not yet been completely eroded. Rather, it is not recognized by either national policy or development agencies. This has slowly but significantly increased the levels of hunger in marginal areas with poor soils, insufficient rainfall and inadequate infrastructure. Ignoring resources which are available in the marginal areas in favour of exotic material cannot be acceptable as a sustainable and environmentally sensitive development strategy. This study therefore aims to investigate the current status of indigenous vegetables and the role they play in household food security and income generation in Zimbabwe. An inventory of indigenous vegetables by agro-ecological regions and seasonality will be developed.

Project objectives

1. Identification. To document the occurrence of indigenous vegetables by agro-ecological regions, including their seasonality and local practices for production and use.

2. Conservation. To assess community-based PGR conservation practices, constraints and rates of genetic erosion and to develop strategies and mechanisms to enhance in situ conservation of genetic resources of indigenous vegetables.

3. Promotion. To analyze the value of indigenous vegetables for food security and nutrition and to disseminate the results to small farmers, policy-makers, scientists, extension services, health and development organizations.

4. Policy. To create awareness among policy-makers, scientists, extension services, health authorities and development organizations of the need to develop an enabling policy framework which supports and strengthens the capacity of communities to conserve, produce and utilize indigenous vegetables.

5. Training. To work with interested local women's groups to develop and encourage training in aspects of indigenous vegetables: gathering and propagation practices, handling, storage and preparation techniques, nutritional value and the status of plant germplasm.

6. Information/dissemination. To develop, document and distribute information related to community-based indigenous vegetables conservation and utilization practices and systems.

Project activities

1. To assess and collect data on indigenous vegetables covering different agro-ecological regions on such aspects as:

· degree of present use
· traditional use
· non-food usage
· how it is gathered and propagated
· seasonality
· handling
· preparation techniques
· production constraints.

3. Technology designed to preserve and store indigenous vegetable products will be developed and implemented.

4. The nutritional value and socioeconomic role of indigenous vegetables in comparison with exotic species will be documented.

5. Policy. The importance of a policy framework designed to support and strengthen community-based indigenous vegetables production, conservation and utilization cannot be overemphasized. Such a policy framework would address such issues as:

· The production of indigenous vegetables for both domestic and commercial purposes.
· Provision of training and extension services in appropriate horticultural management practices.
· Coordinated in situ conservation policies and strategies at a national level.

6. Improved strategies for the production and marketing of indigenous vegetables will be developed, which are designed to create employment, particularly among women's and farmers groups, as well as individual, small-scale farmers.

Along with genetic erosion goes loss of local knowledge, particularly among the younger generation. This includes knowledge of:

· vegetable propagation
· agronomic practices
· gathering and handling
· preparation and utilization
· preservation methods and techniques
· marketing strategies.

7. Information dissemination and distribution to interested organizations and institutions, policy-makers and extension workers will be embarked on in an effort to create a network of collaborating organizations. Another aspect would be to exchange information among farmers in the different project sites.

Institutional linkages

In addition to the linkages with Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the Department of Agriculture and Extension Services (AGRITEX), this project will closely liaise with the University of Zimbabwe's Department of Crop Science. Contacts will be made with the Department of Research and Specialist Services (DRSS). Farmers' organizations, women's groups, NGOs and interested individuals will be consulted during the implementation of the project.

The Zimbabwean project will be implemented by COMMUTECH in collaboration with the Kenyan NGO CIKSAP, with support from IDRC. The areas of institutional collaboration include:

· information exchange
· exchange visits
· farmer and staff training
· technical cooperation in germplasm collecting, characterization and agronomic practices
· review of policy frameworks.