Muzerengi Tapiwa, Tirivangasi Happy M
Department of Community Development, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa.
Jamba. 2019 Oct 23;11(1):652. doi: 10.4102/jamba.v11i1.652. eCollection 2019.
This article assesses the feasibility of small grains as an adaptive strategy to climate change in the Mangwe District in Zimbabwe. The change in climate has drastically affected rainfall patterns across the globe and in Zimbabwe in particular. Continuous prevalence of droughts in Zimbabwe, coupled with other economic calamities facing the Southern African country, has contributed to a larger extent to the reduction in grain production among communal farmers, most of whom are in semi-arid areas. This has caused a sudden increase in food shortages, particularly in the Mangwe District, as a result of erratic rainfall, which has negatively affected subsistence farming. This article was deeply rooted in qualitative research methodologies. Purposive sampling was used to sample the population. The researchers used key informant interviews, focus group discussions and secondary data to collect data. Data were analysed using INVIVO software, a data analysis tool that brings out themes. The results of the study are presented in the form of themes. The study established that small grains contributed significantly to addressing food shortages in the Mangwe District. The study results revealed that small grains were a reliable adaptive strategy to climate change as they increased food availability, accessibility, utilisation and stability. Despite the significant contribution of small grains to addressing food shortages, there is a need for the government to come up with a vibrant small grains policy, and government support that is visible as well as market creation for small grains. The study further recommends that small grains in semi-arid areas can be a panacea to food insecurity in Zimbabwe.
本文评估了小粒谷物作为津巴布韦曼格韦区应对气候变化的一种适应策略的可行性。气候变化已对全球尤其是津巴布韦的降雨模式产生了巨大影响。津巴布韦干旱持续存在，再加上这个南部非洲国家面临的其他经济灾难，在很大程度上导致了社区农民粮食产量的下降，其中大多数农民位于半干旱地区。由于降雨不稳定，这对自给农业产生了负面影响，导致粮食短缺突然加剧，尤其是在曼格韦区。本文深深扎根于定性研究方法。采用目的抽样对人群进行抽样。研究人员通过关键信息人访谈、焦点小组讨论和二手数据来收集数据。使用INVIVO软件对数据进行分析，该软件是一种能呈现主题的数据分析工具。研究结果以主题的形式呈现。该研究确定小粒谷物对解决曼格韦区的粮食短缺问题做出了重大贡献。研究结果表明，小粒谷物是应对气候变化的可靠适应策略，因为它们提高了粮食的可得性、可及性、利用率和稳定性。尽管小粒谷物在解决粮食短缺方面做出了重大贡献，但政府仍需出台一项有力的小粒谷物政策，并提供切实可见的政府支持以及为小粒谷物创造市场。该研究进一步建议，半干旱地区的小粒谷物可能是解决津巴布韦粮食不安全问题的万灵药。
