THE IMPACT OF URBAN WETLAND FARMING ON FOOD SECURITY IN
ZIMBABWE’S URBAN AREAS

THE IMPACT OF URBAN WETLAND FARMING ON FOOD SECURITY IN
ZIMBABWE’S URBAN AREAS

DELIWE TEMBACHAKO

ANYWAY KATANHA

RUMBIDZAI DEBRA KATSARUWARE

This study explores the urban wetlands contribution to household food security in Zimbabwe. This is
under the backdrop of hazy information which exists under the environmental importance of wetland
resource discourse. The study was an ethnographic in nature which used a qualitative research approach.
The study used a number of livelihood tools in food security assessment which included, direct
observations, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and a household questionnaire survey, to
solicit the data. A satellite town (Chitungwiza) close to Zimbabwe’s capital city (Harare) was used for
this study. A sum of 300 subjects from the three main residential areas namely Seke, St Mary’s and
Zengeza suburbs were selected for the study. Systematic sampling was used to select wetland urban
farmers in each surbub, followed by random sampling which resulted in a sample size of 100 from each
suburb. The results revealed that 92% of the urban farmers practice agriculture in wetlands. Sixty two
percent acknowledge that they are food secure because of wetland agriculture. The main crops which are
planted in these wetlands include maize, sweet potatoes, and vegetables in order of their importance.
Hundred percent respondents were of the opinion that soils from wetlands are richer than those from other
landscapes and therefore reducing expenses on input costs like fertilizers. About 80% of those that are
food secure are women headed households. Eighty seven percent of the respondents confirmed that
wetlands provide products and services that significantly contribute to their household food security.
Despite the wetland’s contribution, these urban farmers face some challenges which include low inputs,
unreliable and erratic rainfall, unfavorable urban agricultural policies and diseases. Urban population
increase around the wetlands, embedded with other anthropogenic activities, economic crisis, land
shortage and climate change presents households with limited options. The study recommends urban
agricultural policies that take into account the importance of wetlands as reliable agricultural landscape
and reduce the construction of buildings in the wetlands. Adoptions of relevant technologies that ensure
sustainable use of wetland resources for food security for example zero tillage.

Asian Academic Research Journal of Multidisciplinary

2016