The World Bank on Monday hailed Zimbabwe’s climate-proofed conservation agriculture as a game changer in the country’s efforts to boost and consolidate food security.
The Zimbabwean government is promoting climate-proofed conservation agriculture, commonly known in the local Shona language as Pfumvudza, which has significantly boosted yields and ensured surplus maize production and food security over the last two years.
Speaking at a meeting on climate-smart agriculture innovations and technologies in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Fadzai Mukonoweshuro, World Bank acting country manager for Zimbabwe, said the need for Zimbabwe to adopt climate-smart agriculture technologies is urgent due to its high vulnerability to climate change.
According to Mukonoweshuro, previous Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments highlight Zimbabwe as a climate change hot spot alongside other southern African countries.
“The Zimbabwean government’s commitment to an enhanced agricultural knowledge innovation system to drive adaptation and mitigation measures in the sector is seen through its Pfumvudza program built on conservation agriculture principles,” Mukonoweshuro said.
On its part, the World Bank is financing a digital climate information platform in Zimbabwe that delivers real-time, high-resolution agricultural weather information and crop-specific agronomic messages to farmers, as part of efforts to assist small-holder farmers to adapt to climate change.
The acting country manager said the World Bank is working on extending the reach of the platform to small-holder farmers under the Pfumvudza initiative, noting that early anticipatory and preventative measures save more costs in the future.
“Urgent action is required to finance adaptation and ensure food security and resilience. Financing adaptation is more cost-effective than financing food emergency and crisis response,” she said.
