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“We realised that we are always into hunger when we don’t grow pearl millet” - Exploring decision-making by smallholder farmers and the situation for traditional small grain cropping using Political Ecology in the semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe

Lundeborg, Linnéa LU (2022) MIDM19 20221
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
Food insecurity in Zimbabwe is severe and increasing. The staple food is made from maize, which is highly sensitive to drought. The traditional small grains; finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum are drought resistant, nutritious and require little inputs compared to maize. Despite this, few farmers grow small grains even though they have been praised as a panacea. This thesis aims to narrow the research gap on decision-making of smallholder farmers by using the values, rules (system constraints) and knowledge (VRK)-framework and outlining the situation for small grain cropping using Political Ecology in the regions of Buhera and Gutu district in Zimbabwe. A qualitative study, with 21 semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers... (More)
Food insecurity in Zimbabwe is severe and increasing. The staple food is made from maize, which is highly sensitive to drought. The traditional small grains; finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum are drought resistant, nutritious and require little inputs compared to maize. Despite this, few farmers grow small grains even though they have been praised as a panacea. This thesis aims to narrow the research gap on decision-making of smallholder farmers by using the values, rules (system constraints) and knowledge (VRK)-framework and outlining the situation for small grain cropping using Political Ecology in the regions of Buhera and Gutu district in Zimbabwe. A qualitative study, with 21 semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers and agriculture extension officers was conducted. The study’s findings show that values, closely followed by system constraints (rules), guide the farmers in their cereal decision-making process. The Green Revolution, with hybrid maize seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides have created an increasing dependency spiral, moving away from traditional, sustainable cropping. However, the value of small grains is rising due to biophysical constraints and climate change. Government handouts of hybrid maize seeds and chemical fertilisers to increase their political support complicates the complex situation further. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lundeborg, Linnéa LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20221
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Climate adaptation, Food security, Political Ecology, Smallholder farmers, Small grains, Zimbabwe
language
English
id
9096421
date added to LUP
2022-07-25 07:49:35
date last changed
2022-07-25 07:49:35
@misc{9096421,
  abstract     = {{Food insecurity in Zimbabwe is severe and increasing. The staple food is made from maize, which is highly sensitive to drought. The traditional small grains; finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum are drought resistant, nutritious and require little inputs compared to maize. Despite this, few farmers grow small grains even though they have been praised as a panacea. This thesis aims to narrow the research gap on decision-making of smallholder farmers by using the values, rules (system constraints) and knowledge (VRK)-framework and outlining the situation for small grain cropping using Political Ecology in the regions of Buhera and Gutu district in Zimbabwe. A qualitative study, with 21 semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers and agriculture extension officers was conducted. The study’s findings show that values, closely followed by system constraints (rules), guide the farmers in their cereal decision-making process. The Green Revolution, with hybrid maize seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides have created an increasing dependency spiral, moving away from traditional, sustainable cropping. However, the value of small grains is rising due to biophysical constraints and climate change. Government handouts of hybrid maize seeds and chemical fertilisers to increase their political support complicates the complex situation further.}},
  author       = {{Lundeborg, Linnéa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{“We realised that we are always into hunger when we don’t grow pearl millet” - Exploring decision-making by smallholder farmers and the situation for traditional small grain cropping using Political Ecology in the semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}