Zimbabwe: A disastrous experiment

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the decline of Zimbabwe's agricultural sector resulting from land redistribution programmes and policy failures between 1992 and 2020.

• Zimbabwe's land redistribution programme, spanning from 1992 to 2010, negatively impacted its most productive sector by undermining security of ownership and utilizing expropriation without due process.
• Agricultural productivity in Zimbabwe peaked between 1960 and 1990, during which the country exported approximately 10% more food than it consumed and surpassed China's per capita production. However, production per capita fell sharply in the early 1990s and has not returned to those previous levels.
• The agricultural sector suffered further decline in the early 2000s when Robert Mugabe evicted over 4,000 white commercial farmers and implemented 'command agriculture'. By 2010, yields per hectare had fallen below the levels recorded in 1965, although total production increased due to more land being cultivated.
• Under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, policies reverted to previous disastrous approaches despite a military coup in November 2017. By 2019, Zimbabwe relied on imports for nearly 22% of its total food demand, and by 2020, fewer than 300 white commercial farmers remained in the country.
• Extreme poverty in Zimbabwe increased significantly from 10% of the population in 2000 to 37% in 2020, with the latter group living on less than US$1.90 daily, a situation exacerbated by failed land and agricultural reforms.

APA

le Roux, A., & Cilliers, J. (2026). Zimbabwe: A disastrous experiment. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=04-agriculture&topic=06-zimbabwe-disastrous-experiment

Chicago

le Roux, Alize, and Jakkie Cilliers. Zimbabwe: A disastrous experiment. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=04-agriculture&topic=06-zimbabwe-disastrous-experiment.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=le Roux |first1=Alize |last2=Cilliers |first2=Jakkie |title=Zimbabwe: A disastrous experiment |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=21 April 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=04-agriculture&topic=06-zimbabwe-disastrous-experiment |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leroux2026zimbabwe, author = {le Roux, Alize and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Zimbabwe: A disastrous experiment}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=04-agriculture&topic=06-zimbabwe-disastrous-experiment}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }