Risk management strategy in the agricultural sector is a crucial aspect of Zimbabwe’s economy, as agriculture plays a significant role in its development. The agricultural sector provides a livelihood to most of its population and contributes a lot to a country’s GDP. The agricultural sector includes crop and livestock production, forestry, and fisheries, each of which is prone to various man-made and natural risks, such as droughts, floods, pests, and diseases. These pose significant challenges that could harm the country’s food security and economic stability. Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector also faces many problems due to its diverse ecological zones, which have different levels of exposure to climate change. Mostly, smallholder farmers face difficulties in managing these risks, usually due to limited access to resources, technologies and financial services. As a result, agriculture remains highly prone to disasters, which can have severe impacts on rural communities and national food security. This blog will provide a detailed overview of Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector’s risk management strategy, including an assessment of disaster risk in the agricultural sector.

1. Risk Mitigation

1.1. Moving Toward an Enabling Policy Framework

• From Conventional Agriculture to Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture
• From National Production Goals to Regional Specialization
• Digitalization of Agriculture
• An Enabling Policy, Regulatory, and Incentivizing Environment

1.2. Strengthening the Agricultural Innovation System

• Different Resources and Services for Different Subgroups
• What is Needed for the AIS To Leap-Frog?

1.3 Improving Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

•  Phytosanitary Systems
•  Food Safety

1.4 Developing Irrigation 

1.5 Improving Early Warning Systems

2. Agricultural Insurance

3. Sovereign Disaster Risk Management

• Financial Gap and Sources of Funds
• Adaptive Social Protection

1. Risk Mitigation

Zimbabwe’s agriculture is slowly improving. The country is currently developing a strong and modern farming sector led by many small-scale farmers. Instead of traditional methods, the government is moving forward by using its skilled people. The country is also using existing knowledge to drive innovation and growth.

Figure: A Risk Layering Strategy for the Government of Zimbabwe

1.1.  Moving Toward an Enabling Policy Framework

Zimbabwe’s Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) can leapfrog in three areas: sustainable farming, specialized production, and digitalization. Achieving these tasks requires strong policies, support, and investment in public and private institutions to help smallholder farmers.

From Conventional Agriculture to Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture

A shift from conventional to climate-smart, sustainable agriculture is necessary, focusing on soil rehabilitation, afforestation, water management, and diversification of crops. Research in plants and soil science will also support these goals immensely. These initiatives will support Zimbabwe’s agricultural growth and be tailored to its unique agricultural landscapes.

From National Production Goals to Regional Specialization

Despite different climate risks, maize, being the staple food of Zimbabwe, is being promoted worldwide. Zimbabwe should revisit regional specialization. The country should identify areas suited for specific crops and livestock. This approach will develop markets and supply chains and provide a foundation for positive production.

Digitalization of Agriculture

The expansion of 3G mobile broadband services in Zimbabwe has increased internet access, with half the population now online. While agricultural researchers and extension workers have access to mobile devices and the internet, they are only beginning to use digital tools for knowledge management. The growth in mobile and internet access supports the development of e-agriculture. It offers services such as extension, weather updates, market information, and livestock identification capabilities. Improving ICT enhances smallholder access to support, better prices, and efficient communication.

An Enabling Policy, Regulatory, and Incentivizing Environment

For Zimbabwe’s agricultural leaps, enabling policies, a resilient ruled foundation and incentives are essential. A learning initiative funded by a competitive grant facility could aid leapfrogging. Immediate focus should be on public investment to strengthen smallholder resilience, including Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS), SPS systems, irrigation, and early warning systems. Government support is crucial, and most smallholder farmers require assistance to manage risks and adopt sustainable practices. However, current resources for risk mitigation are scarce. Addressing this problem and finding a solution is crucial for success.

1.2 Strengthening the Agricultural Innovation System

After the land reform in Zimbabwe, the farming sector underwent significant changes, with 300 large-scale farmers, 16,386 resettled A2 farmers, 145,775 resettled A1 farmers, 76,000 old-resettled farmers, and around 1.3 million communal farmers. This shift in the agricultural landscape presents a major challenge for the Agricultural Innovation System (AIS). Before the late 1990s, services were mainly provided to large-scale farmers, while small-scale communal farmers were largely unsupported. Following the land reform, the dichotomy between large and small-scale farmers has disappeared, requiring the research and extension systems to serve nearly 2 million small-scale farmers, most of whom rely on rainfed agriculture.

Different Resources and Services for Different Subgroups

Zimbabwe’s 2 million smallholder farmers require resources and services based on specific characteristics.  Berdegué and Escobar’s (2002) typology classifies them into three types: high or low asset ownership and favorable or unfavorable production environment. Each type requires special policies and innovation support to address its unique challenges, ensuring the effective targeting of interventions and resources by stakeholders such as research, extension, and agribusiness

 

 

1. In regions where assets support agriculture, the emphasis should be on promoting business ventures and encouraging private-sector participation.

 

2. For farmers with the potential to engage in market-driven agriculture but limited resources, both public and private sectors should collaborate to offer the necessary support and expertise to help small farms flourish.

  

3. Rural poverty reduction should be a broad goal, often achieved through partnerships with local organizations, the UN system, and NGOs, to strengthen vital connections and build essential institutions.

What is Needed for the AIS To Leap-Frog?

Zimbabwe’s Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) is supported by institutions such as DR-SS for public research, AGRITEX for extension services, and the Agricultural Research Council of Zimbabwe, which manages national priorities and competitive grants. This is further strengthened by research from universities and private companies, particularly seed companies. Additionally, regional and international agricultural research institutions work alongside the national AIS. While public institutions have skilled personnel, the system faces challenges, including a disconnect with current farming practices, limited resources, and a lack of coordination between its various parts.

 

1. DR-SS and AGRITEX should rethink their strategies to better support Zimbabwe’s 2 million small-scale farmers, considering their different needs and conditions.

2. Zimbabwe’s public research and extension institutions have skilled staff but lack sufficient numbers and infrastructure. They need to hire more staff and train them in modern skills like climate-smart agriculture and ICT.

3. Limited resources in the past hindered cooperation between agencies. With more resources, collaboration should increase, especially with strong leadership and competitive grants to encourage it.

 

With its limited resources and strong human capacity, Zimbabwe should make the most of regional and international R&D collaboration opportunities, like the World Bank’s Agricultural Productivity Program for Southern Africa.  

For leap-frogging to work, the Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) must adopt a broader view of innovation. Unlike traditional, linear research and extension models, the AIS approach is more flexible. It includes various actors, interactions, and informal practices that drive innovation. This approach combines traditional methods with additional measures, like offering professional skills, incentives, and resources to build partnerships and businesses, improving knowledge sharing, and creating the right environment for innovation.

1.3. Improving Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Fieldwork revealed that pests and diseases pose a risk to plants and animals, which were also considered in the risk assessment. While Zimbabwe’s SPS system wasn’t directly reviewed, there are suggestions on how to improve it, which will guide future research and investment in public institutions and universities working on these issues.

Phytosanitary Systems

The Mazowe Plant Quarantine Station has basic labs for studying insects, plant diseases, and pests, but it lacks the latest equipment or regular checks. People involved suggested that DR-SS and AGRITEX should be better equipped to create crops that can resist pests and diseases. They also need to work more with public and private research institutions. The EU audit and FAO’s recommendations suggest reviewing the rules, checking the capacity to implement them, and planning investments. Strengthening biosecurity and making vaccines for livestock diseases are also important.

Food Safety

Pswarai et al. (2014) say that Zimbabwe’s food safety system is not well organized, with different groups not working together. This makes it hard to ensure food safety. The biggest problem is that there aren’t enough resources for food control, as mentioned in the draft Food Control Bill (2011). The bill proposes establishing a Food Control Authority to oversee food safety; however, a lack of resources and a focus on food production have hindered progress in updating the food control system.

1.4. Developing Irrigation 

Drought is the biggest risk to farming in Zimbabwe, and as the climate becomes drier, irrigation is crucial for supporting farmers. Not having enough water is a big problem for small farmers, and much of the current irrigation system is old, which leads to low crop yields. Key steps include upgrading the old irrigation systems, using new and improved technology, and extending irrigation to areas that could produce more crops if they had sufficient water.

1.5. Improving Early Warning Systems

Zimbabwe has made progress in setting up systems to warn people about disasters, such as droughts, as the country has faced climate-related challenges for many years. To improve these systems, Zimbabwe must collect more data, monitor risks more carefully, share information clearly, and respond promptly. 

The DCP and Meteorological Services Department help prepare for disasters but must work better with other groups. Using new technology and better information will help Zimbabwe be better prepared for problems. Knowing the weather in different places can help us predict dangers to crops. It’s crucial to share early warnings through phones and other services, but some remote areas still have weak phone signals.

Here are 10 ways to make Zimbabwe’s early warning system stronger:

1. Collect more types of data, like information on cities and markets.  
2. Create one place where all the data is easy to access and use.  
3. Prepare better for events like El Niño and La Niña.  
4. Make sure everyone, especially women farmers, can easily access warning information.  
5. Improve teamwork between national and regional organizations.  
6. Teach people the skills they need at both the national and local levels.  
7. Get better tools for collecting data and use digital technology.  
8. Ensure the rules for climate, disaster risk, and early warning systems align.  
9. Add market data to help farmers make better decisions.  
10. Find ways to fund the system and replace old equipment.

Also, Zimbabwe could create a Technical Support Unit (TSU) in the Ministry of Agriculture or the Disaster Department. The TSU would focus on managing farming risks, conducting research, and developing training programs guided by a group of experts.

2. Agricultural Insurance

Agricultural insurance is an important tool for managing risks for farmers at the farm level. Farmers can transfer this risk to another party in exchange for a premium.

This can help in the following ways- 

Farmers can use traditional risk management strategies, but insurance can provide protection against major weather changes and help in the event of significant losses.

Insurance can improve farmers’ access to credit by increasing their ability to borrow money or receive in-kind loans.

Crop and livestock insurance products are commonly used in high-income countries because of the large and well-established traditional insurance practice markets. Small farmers in Zimbabwe don’t use agricultural insurance much because little investment has been made in insurance services for them. Since these farmers often rely on their own methods to deal with risks, they are more at risk from bad weather affecting their crops.

Weather index insurance (WII) could help farmers in Zimbabwe. Instead of needing field checks, WII uses rainfall, temperature, or plant growth to decide when to give payouts. This makes it faster and cheaper than traditional insurance. WII can also reduce fraud and is easier to keep running. WII has been tested in other parts of Africa, including a pilot in Zimbabwe by the World Food Programme. These projects show that WII could work well in Zimbabwe, too. Zimbabwe would need help from businesses, donors, universities, and local weather experts to make it happen.

Weather index insurance can help with regular weather problems, but the government’s help is needed for major disasters. When severe weather or disasters occur, the government provides emergency programs to assist the poorest families, support farmers, and rebuild important structures.

3. Sovereign Disaster Risk Management

3.1. Financial Gap and Sources of Funds

In Zimbabwe, there is a great financial gap when it comes to managing disasters. The government has not properly checked how much natural disasters truly cost. From 2008 to 2016, Zimbabwe needed about US$333.3 million every year to deal with disasters. However, the Ministry of Finance allocated only about US$5.2 million each year, which is just 1.6% of the total amount required. Most of the funds came from external sources, such as UN agencies, providing nearly US$246.8 million annually. This covered around 74% of the total fund needed. This left a financial gap of about US$81.1 million every year. This accounted for 24% of Zimbabwe’s financial requirement for disasters. The country relies on outside help because it lacks sufficient funding for emergencies. The Ministry of Finance allocates nearly US$35 million annually for emergencies; however, this amount is used across various sectors and is insufficient to cover all disaster-related costs.

Zimbabwe must shift from reacting to disasters to being better prepared for them, especially financially. There can be a mix of tools like emergency budgets, special loans, grants, and insurance. This will help protect both the country’s budget and rural communities. Besides, it will cover everything from quick relief to long-term recovery. Countries like Colombia, Mexico, and the Philippines have set up disaster response funds that Zimbabwe can learn from. Zimbabwe also partnered with the African Risk Capacity (ARC) in 2012 to access drought insurance. Another option is agricultural insurance. A 2016 pilot project by Blue Marble tested this idea to help small farmers facing drought. This could guide Zimbabwe in building its own farm insurance market through government and private sector partnerships.

3.2. Adaptive Social Protection

Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) helps the poorest and most vulnerable people cope with climate change by linking social protection, disaster risk efforts, and climate adaptation. The key idea is that safety net programs should be flexible enough to respond to disasters like floods or droughts.

ASP typically involves two types of measures:

Resilience-building measures: These are measures taken before disasters happen to help vulnerable households become stronger. They focus on improving skills, creating jobs, growing savings, and helping people find different ways to earn a living. This makes families better prepared to face any climate change.

Shock-responsive measures: These help social safety nets react quickly when disasters strike. Programs can expand to support more households or provide additional help to those already in the system. This prevents families from having to make tough choices, such as selling belongings, eating less, or pulling kids out of school.

ASP is a cost-effective way to build on existing systems, such as cash transfers or public works programs, using their staff, networks, and payment platforms. Trusted systems and digital tools, like electronic registries, make the process faster and more transparent. Several countries, including Fiji, the Philippines, Senegal, and Mauritania, have successfully used this approach to support people affected by disasters.

Zimbabwe’s risk management strategy is crucial to its economy, as the agricultural sector faces many risks, including climate change, erratic weather patterns, pests, diseases, and lower food security. Smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable due to limited resources and risk management tools. A comprehensive disaster management strategy supports Zimbabwe by combining farm-level mitigation and insurance solutions. Strong risk management systems and agricultural insurance can protect the livelihoods of farmers. Improving disaster response through financial instruments is key to reducing long-term impacts. The risk management strategy can improve safety for affected households, delivering timely support during crises. Implementing a climate risk management strategy into national policies and leveraging existing programs can help create a more active disaster risk management approach. A coordinated strategy with public-private partnerships and investment in agricultural services will ensure that Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector to be more resilient and sustainable. Therefore, Zimbabwe’s risk management strategy must be implemented to better adapt to upcoming climate-related risks and prepare the country for a secure future.