El Niño events are jeopardizing food security in Southern Africa. With 70 percent of the population relying on agriculture, rising temperatures and severe drought threaten the region. Zimbabwe following Malawi and Zambia, has declared a state of natural disaster due to the drought.

In response to the devastating impacy on populations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Zimbabwe, through the ACP-MEAs 3 project in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Development (MoLAFWRD), has taken steps to improve the resilience of rural communities.

In Gokwe, Makoni and Mt Darwin rural districts, FAO works with farmer groups of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) promoting practices for better adaptation to the climate change effects using nature-based solutions. Through these FFS, farmers have been learning and developing ecosystem-based solutions integrating new technologies and traditional knowledge to address their challenges at community level.

In the current 2023/24 season, the FAO-led FFSs have responded to the El Niño induced drought threats by refocusing their experimental studies on climate-proofing agriculture, ecosystem-based agricultural practices, and crop diversification. Farmers have managed to plant early and are applying in-field water harvesting and moisture conservation techniques.

Three majors topics were developed through these FFS to empower farmers to face El Niño :

1.      Rainwater harvesting and moisture conservation techniques

“The current rainfall season is very bad for crop production. However, myself and other farmers in the community are employing techniques like tied ridges and mulching which we learnt at the farmer field school. This has helped us establish a good crop that is at the late vegetative to early reproductive stage,” said Lazarus Kamutaru, a member of Tsakari FFS in Mt. Darwin. Farmers of the FFS are using rainwater harvesting techniques to maximize rainfall utility, conserve soil and water resources while improving crop yields. Participants of the FFS are experimenting in-field water harvesting techniques such as potholing, tied ridges and infiltration pits. Additionally, farmers are exploring various mulching options to conserve soil moisture, using maize stover, dry grass, leaf litter and black plastic. Farmers are also finding innovative solutions, experimenting with live mulch when maize stover is scarse, which involves intercropping maize with cowpeas or sugar beans. Live mulching  attracts beneficial insects, helping to control pests and improve pollination.

“These sustainable practices are part of a broader movement towards conservation agriculture, emphasizing the importance of maintaining permanent ground cover to protect soil health and improve crop resilience. With these techniques, farmers can mitigate the impact of El Nino and build more resilient farming systems for the future,” added Obert Maminimini, ACP MEAs 3 National Project Coordinator at FAO.

 2.      Managing El Niño related crop distress

To manage El Niño-related crop distress and ensure food security, farmers at the FFS have invested in drought-tolerant seeds, crop diversification and selection of seed and crop varieties suitable for their respective communities., Experiments were conducted to evaluate the adaptability of seven varieties of groundnuts, two varieties of finger millet, four varieties of round nuts, five varieties of cowpeas, two varieties of pearl millet, and maize to the agroecological zone and short, low rainfall season. The experiments also considered the agronomic characteristics and processing or cooking qualities, among others, to ensure that the selected crops will be well-suited to the local area.

 3. Organic fertilizers winning strategy for FFS in El Niño season

Farmers are seeking innovative ways to mitigate El Niño’s impact on crops. In this context, the FFS groups are testing the effects of various locally available organic fertilizers, including goat, chicken, cow manure, and thermal compost on crops. They are also comparing the results with those from the use of synthetic fertilizers. The farmers are also experimenting with different combinations of lime with organic and synthetic fertilizers to enhance crop performance. The use of liquid poultry manure, made by mixing droppings with water and leaving it to react for about seven days, is also being tested as a top-dressing fertilizer. This is compared with solid poultry droppings, which have shown to be effective in the last season's experiments.

“The use of these locally available organic materials allows us to work with beneficial microorganisms. These microorganisms work with the crops in increasing bioavailable nutrients and protecting our crop from pests and diseases,” stated the Chairperson of Chiedza FFS, Garnett in Makoni.

“While the outcomes of these studies are still in progress, the FFS’s commitment to finding sustainable solutions to climate change is a positive step towards a transformative and more resilient future for our agricultural industry,” said Kudzai Kusena.

Obert Maminimini, the ACP MEAs 3 National Project Coordinator at FAO testify that “The concept of farmer field schools has brought significant mindsets shift among farmers as they now realize the benefits of ecosystem-based agricultural practices. Many farmers are now capacitated to take anticipatory actions against such adverse climate events like El Niño”