The role of climate smart agriculture in alleviating hunger in Ward 4 of Murewa District

Abstract

Climate change disrupts weather patterns, reduces agricultural productivity and increases already existing vulnerabilities leading to increased hunger and poverty, particularly in rural areas. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as droughts and heat waves have disrupted agricultural productivity and threaten food production systems. This study focused on the role of climate smart agriculture (CSA) in alleviating hunger in Ward 4 of Murewa district. The study sought to bridge the gap on how to effectively scale up successful CSA approaches to smallholder farmers. Using information from 45 respondents, a mixed research approach was used. Quantitative data was collected from 35 farmers through self-administered questionnaires whilst qualitative data was collected from AGRITEX officers, policy makers and non-governmental organization (NGOs) representatives through face-to-face interviews. Snowball sampling method was used to select the respondents in this study. The study sought to portray the initiatives or programmes that can promote CSA techniques in the ward, the challenges that can hinder the successful implementation of these initiatives and measures that can be put in place to correct that. Results from the study established that CSA technique like conservation farming plays a vital role in alleviating hunger in the ward through improved productivity, reduced production cost through use of local resources and reduced crop failure. The study ended with recommendations that could be used to mitigate factors that hinder the successful implementation of CSA such as capacity building towards CSA, financial assistance, access to resources and policy and regulatory support