Unlocking Zimbabwe’s Organic Potential (Organic Conservation Agriculture 1 & 2)

Unlocking Zimbabwe’s Organic Potential (Organic Conservation Agriculture 1 & 2)

Project Details

Sponsor(s)

Comic Relief & Garden Africa (GA)

Budget

£500,757

Implementing Partner(s)

Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre (FPC) and Zimbabwe Organic Producers & Promoters Association (ZOPPA). Both in Zimbabwe

Period

Location

Status

About Project

SUMMARY

Listed below are the most significant achievements that were made by the Unlocking Zimbabwe’s Organic Potential (Organic Conservation Agriculture 1&2) project in terms of changing the lives of the targeted groups and/or changes in policy.

  • 948 farming households actively participated in the project and had access to new skills, markets, and income.
  • 44 associations in total (due to a division of 1 large association) were formed, with a an average of 22 members of both male and female per each farmer group.
  • 100% of farmers fully certified, along with their organic market gardens (1.5-5ha). Conversion expanded to household plots due to income success.
  • 185ha of land was certified under the project.
  • Diversified production (providing household dietary, ecological, and market diversity for resilience) of up to 17 different crops. Production & yields across the board increased by 200%. (ie., maize increased by 330%, impacting household food security, & cash crops such as lettuce and tomatoes by 425% & 170% respectively).
  • Sales of organic produce (OP) $131,957 (36% to formal markets) – project increase of 290%
  • Increased sales combined with reduced expenditure on chemicals has resulted in investments in school fees, additional food stuffs, small livestock, extending homesteads, solar lighting and radios for the targeted households.
  • The project has seen a 10% increase in male involvement, suggesting that organic agriculture (OA) is increasingly recognised in terms of commodified production.
  • 10 further associations (241 farmers) independently trained by local project standards trainers.
  • Due to increased profile, NGOs and institutions are converting their farmers, with a total of 8,104 farmers now engaged in certification, and 440 ha of certified land nationally.
  • 302 project farmers now have UNDP funding for capital infrastructure.
  • Households with access to clean water has near doubled (HH water capture & deep wells) with 90% reporting an improvement in the time to collect for drinking, sanitation & irrigation.