ZIMSOFF Expo champions Agroecology, indigenous seeds and women’s role in food sovereignty amid dry spell

BY STEVE EPHRAEM

CHIMANIMANI:  Farmers have been urged to adopt climate-resilient farming methods to sustain yields during the current agricultural season, which is expected to receive below-normal rainfall.

The call was made at the Agroecology and Food Sovereignty Expo organised by the Zimbabwe Smallholder Farmers Forum (ZIMSOFF) at Chaseyama in Chimanimani West on 26 October 2026.

The expo was held under the theme: “To promote food sovereignty by showcasing the exchange of indigenous seeds, traditional foods and agroecological practices among women and smallholder farmers.”

The event brought together members of the Small Farmers Organisation (SFO) from the host community of Chaseyama, as well as representatives from Chieha and Mutapurwa in Chiredzi, Mahachi and Konjana in Chipinge, and Nyanga. ZIMSOFF’s head office was represented by Patience Shumba.

Speaking at the event, Chimanimani Ward 3 Agricultural Business Advisory Supervisor, Mr Sydney Majee urged farmers practising conventional agriculture to demonstrate to their peers the benefits of adopting agroecological farming methods.

“The solution to El Niño is in agroecology, nothing else. The advantage we have as agroecological farmers [this coming dry farming season] is that we have been given a platform to stop campaigning by word of mouth that agroecology is beneficial. Our work in the field should demonstrate to our neighbours that those who do not practise agroecology can die of hunger,” he said.

Mr Majee also commended women for playing a critical role in promoting seed and food sovereignty, saying their involvement was essential to household food security and the wider agricultural sector.

“I was looking at the theme of this event, which reads: ‘To promote food sovereignty by showcasing the exchange of indigenous seeds, traditional foods and agroecological practices among women and smallholder farmers.’ Culturally, women play a bigger role in ensuring that the family is fed. So, when they do not take a leading role in agroecology, it will not go well. The responsibility of feeding the nation rests on women,” he added.

Mr Majee concluded by encouraging consumers to support smallholder farmers by choosing organically produced foods, particularly traditional foods that have sustained communities for generations, while discouraging reliance on chemically produced foods.