New Publication: Grain Revolution - Livelihood transformation in rural Zimbabwe

Finger Millet & Livelihood Transformation in Rural Zimbabwe View this email in your browser   "All societies have a wealth of expertise specific to their history & experiences that can guide modern processes & innovation. "    Tweet   Forward   Share   Share   +1 Grain Revolution: Finger Millet and Livelihood Transformation in Rural Zimbabwe Following a severe drought in 2005, the Chinyika Communities Development Project was conceived by Dr Chidara Muchineripi as a means to overcome the persistent threat of food shortages – and even famine – in Gutu, his home district. His objective was to persuade farmers dependent on maize production to plant finger millet, a neglected crop that is indigenous to Zimbabwe. Chidara's rationale is simple: finger millet is drought-resistant and better suited to semi-arid and arid areas than maize. Although its cultivation is more labour-intensive, it requires fewer expensive inputs than maize. It is also highly nutritious and can be stored for up to 25 years. By 2014 almost every household in Gutu had participated in the project. Farmers with a nucleus of finger millet production each have 3-5 years of strategic food reserves and the collective capacity to produce a surplus of up to 2,000 tons a year. Accumulated reserves of finger millet exceed 20,000 tons. Families in Gutu now have a stable, dependable supply of food. This has been achieved without any external intervention or funding. As Chidara makes clear in this timely and instructive Policy Voice publication, the success of the Chinyika Communities Development Project is grounded in participatory research, community engagement and local ownership. Traditional knowledge and culture have been very much in the vanguard in addressing Gutu's predicament. Click here to read Dr Chidara Muchineripi's Policy Voice explaining how an indigenous crop has transformed livelihoods in rural Zimbabwe   Copyright © 2014 Africa Research Institute, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 55 Tufton St, London, SW1P 3QL