Climate-Smart Agriculture Initiatives in Zimbabwe: Enhancing Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability

The Zimbabwean Government is committed to implementing climate-smart agriculture initiatives to reduce the country's environmental footprint while promoting economic growth and development. A key goal is to reduce livestock emissions by seven percent by 2035, with a focus on improving feeding and health in five percent and 10 percent of the national herd, respectively. These initiatives aim to enhance food security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support the country's sustainable development goals.

Key Takeaways:

• The Zimbabwean Government aims to reduce livestock emissions by seven percent (2000 Gg CO2 eqv) by 2035 through improved feeding and health in five percent and 10 percent of the national herd, respectively.
• The Government has partnered with New Zealand to promote climate-smart livestock innovations, which are expected to curtail greenhouse gases and methane emissions.
• The partnership will provide support for research and innovation to foster the development of new technologies and tools for sustainable agriculture.
• Livestock production contributes to environmental sustainability by changing human unusable energy into nutritious animal-sourced food, providing food and nutrition security, and reducing organic waste and pollution.
• However, extensive livestock keepers often experience low productivity, high variation in production, and economic hardship, compounded by climate variability and change.
• The Government's climate-smart agriculture initiatives aim to address these challenges and promote sustainable agriculture and climate-smart practices.

Statistics:

• Reducing livestock emissions by seven percent by 2035 will contribute to the country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0 country statement.
• The Government aims to improve feeding and health in five percent and 10 percent of the national herd, respectively, to achieve the set targets.
• The partnership with New Zealand is expected to provide support for research and innovation in climate-smart livestock innovations.
• Livestock production contributes a significant amount to the reduction of organic waste and pollution in the world, providing food and nutrition security for many people.

Sources:

• Mr Andrew Chamisa, deputy director, Department of Livestock Research, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
• Zimbabwe's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0 country statement, submitted in February.