Research findings on Conservation and environmental issues
5.2 Livelihood and Food Security Issues
situation. The common reason was that of lack of knowledge and skills that led to poor farming methods that resulted in food deficits. This was exacerbated by ecological factors such as poor rains that characterize the region. Problems with food availability were also highlighted in the focus group, where the common response was:
"Problems of hunger as rains are very erratic in the region. People did not know
what was suitable for the area,for example,people wanted maize but this is not the best for agro-ecological region 4 and 5. Thus, the area suffered from food deficits".
This brings to the fore the issue of knowledge as a determining factor of food availability. As noted in the context chapter, Insiza District falls within agro- ecological region 4 and 5. This is a semi-arid region characterized by low rainfall. The region is mainly suitable for ranching and crops that thrive are those that are drought resistant such as sorghum and millet among others. Lack of such knowledge resulted in people continuously planting maize even though the region is not best suited for such a crop. Hence, knowledge of what's suitable for different regions can have an impact on what a household yields at the end. In as much as the people of Sanale knew this there was resistance owing to the fact that maize is viewed as a staple crop.
Thus, for Sanale community it is important to know that millet and sorghum are sustainable local seed varieties appropriate for and more productive on drought-prone and low fertility lands,(Africa 2000 Network Zimbabwe,2001).
5.2.3 Initiatives to increase food availability
There were varied responses as to what initiatives households had taken to increase food availability. Half of the household respondents noted that they had not taken the initiative themselves to increase food. One respondent felt the household was self- sufficient hence no initiative was taken. However, the other half had taken the initiative to increase food. One such initiative was to expand existing gardens in order to increase hectrage under crop. The irrigation project that the community engaged in also boosted the market gardening ventures. This venture catered for consumption as
well as sale. On one hand, the focus group was unanimous in stating that the
community had taken the initiative in increasing food availability. The most common response concerning initiatives undertaken by the community was that:
"Community lobbied the councilor to do something about food shortages but this was to no avail. The next thing was to work hard in farming and join the food for work scheme. Eventually, people joined projects such as small grains and gardening to address food deficits".
The above quotation brings out the important issue of projects in rural development. It shows that community development invariably takes place through projects. These have been described by Honadle and Rosengard (1983) as "discreet activities, aimed at specific objectives". They have become a vehicle through which development efforts are brought to the grassroots or ground level. As noted by Rondinelli (1983) projects are advantageous as they are identifiable, defined and organized sets of development activities. They, thus, make easy translation of development plans and policies into specific courses of action. However, it is important to note that some projects are only sustainable with donor support.Projects that suffer are usually those which continually require capital injection. The study also shows the importance of resources and how helpless people would be without any form of resources. The local leadership (councilor) was helpless in this regard leaving people with no option but to mobilize around projects which are usually donor driven and has implications on sustainability.
5.2.4 Has household food security improved with project?
Having alluded to the importance of projects, it was not surprising that almost all respondents noted that household food security had improved with their joining or participating in the project. This was because the sustainable agriculture project, with emphasis on small grain production had brought with it skills that resulted in improved farming methods that were not detrimental to the environment. It also brought with it knowledge such as what is suitable for a particular agro-ecological region. As such most respondents noted that the sustainable agriculture project had brought with it knowledge of the best land use options for the region. In addition, participants in this regard also acquired new skills. This resulted in an improvement in food security as people were practicing what is suitable for the region. As noted by one respondent "the move from maize to small grains has increased yields because maize is not very suitable for the area". This realization resulted in increased yield, with some households having surplus grain which is sold. This was also confirmed in the focus group discussion where the common response was:
"With joining the project people realized that small grains were suitable for the area and food availability improved as yields doubled compared to maize production. At the moment production caters for households. There have been surpluses for sale for a few", (Focus group discussion, 2004).
The two key informants for donors concurred with the above view. For example, the key informant for GEFSGP stated that:
"In terms of livelihoods,Insiza has an integrated programme that includes livestock rearing, small grains and the garden,and these have been useful windows not only for improving household consumption but also for sale to generate income for fees and farming implements",(Interview with Key informant 1,2004).
The above confirms that agriculture is at the heart of food security as it is the source of the food we need. Thus, projects, as one Sanale undertook, remain the primary means through which development policies are translated into programmes of action.
Having looked at food availability before project inception, subsequent initiatives to increase food availability and the impact of such initiatives one cannot avoid juxtaposition with the sustainable livelihoods framework as advanced by DFID (1999). Although the Sanale project is not a mirror image of this framework,it is clear that there are many aspects that fall within this framework. As shown above, the Sanale community suffered food deficits (vulnerability context). To redress this, the community had to summon its social capital, human capital, natural capital and financial capital with the help of various stakeholders, government or non- government, who helped in setting the field for implementation of desired strategies (policies, institutions and processes) resulting in livelihood outcomes such as improved food security, reduced vulnerability and more sustainable use of natural resource base. It is important to note that participation of the community in decision- making, planning and establishing contacts with external institutions would not have been possible had the community not reached higher levels of participation. This is where people participate in joint analysis, action planning, taking initiatives independently and networking for resources. Success can only be achieved if there are high levels of participation in as far as policies, institutions and processes are concerned. This confirms the earlier notion advanced in the literature review that participation of people in action planning, local decision making, networking and
resource control has a bearing on livelihood strategies that communities adopt eventually leading to beneficial outcomes. Thus, this thesis has argued for the inclusion of levels of participation in the same category as laws, culture, policies, institutions and processes.