Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa

The document analyzes the decline of Zimbabwe's agricultural sector and its resulting food insecurity, identifying structural failures, hyperinflation, and land reform as primary drivers. It evaluates domestic support programs and trade policies, concluding that while Zimbabwe has the potential for self-sufficiency, it requires comprehensive reforms in infrastructure, technology, and regional cooperation to overcome current supply-side constraints.

• Zimbabwe's food security has declined sharply, with food production remaining below subsistence levels since 2000, which negatively impacts the broader food security of Southern Africa.
• Agricultural productivity has been severely hampered by a combination of structural issues, including crumbling irrigation systems, lack of investment in research and development, and the effects of the government's land reform program.
• Hyperinflation and government price controls have created a market environment where farmers have little incentive to produce beyond subsistence needs, as procurement prices are often lower than parallel market rates.
• The government has implemented several domestic support mechanisms, such as Operation Maguta for inputs, a Mechanization Programme for equipment, and the ASPEF facility to rebuild the national cattle herd by 2.1 million animals within three to five years.
• Zimbabwe's trade policy has shifted toward liberalization since the 1990s, reducing average applied tariffs to 17 per cent by 1994, though high tariffs on agriculture still exist to protect local production.
• The document identifies critical external pressures on food security, including the impact of biofuels on global food demand and the role of developed countries' agricultural subsidies in undermining production in developing nations.

APA

Mudzonga, E., & Chigwada, T. (2009). Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ag_scenarios_south_africa_zimbabwe.pdf

Chicago

Mudzonga, Evangelista, and Tendai Chigwada. Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ag_scenarios_south_africa_zimbabwe.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mudzonga |first1=Evangelista |last2=Chigwada |first2=Tendai |title=Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ag_scenarios_south_africa_zimbabwe.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mudzonga2009agriculture, author = {Mudzonga, Evangelista and Chigwada, Tendai}, title = {{Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ag_scenarios_south_africa_zimbabwe.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }