By Johnson Siamachira
Harare, (New Ziana) — Historically, agriculture has been the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy, dominated by large-scale commercial farming while smallholder farmers operated on the margins.
In the 1980s and 1990s, cotton was once hailed as the country’s “white gold,” but its value diminished with declining international prices, forcing farmers to search for alternative income sources.
The land reform programme of 2000 redistributed large-scale farms to smallholder and communal farmers, making them the primary producers.
However, many lacked technical know-how, access to credit, and markets, resulting in reduced agricultural productivity in a nation once Africa’s breadbasket. Consequently, malnutrition surged, particularly in rural areas.
In Zimbabwe, malnutrition is widespread among women of reproductive age (15–49 years) and children under five. The 2024 Zimbabwe National Nutrition Survey reports that 27 percent of children experience stunted growth, while more than 72 per cent of children under five and 69 per cent of women of reproductive age are iron deficient.
Though stunted growth has declined from 33 per cent in 2010 to 27 per cent in 2024, it remains above the global threshold, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
To address this, nutrition-sensitive agricultural approaches have gained momentum under Sustainable Development Goals. One such initiative is HarvestPlus Zimbabwe’s Scaling Nutrition Resilience Project, funded by the Happel Foundation.
Launched in 2022, the project supports over 5,000 smallholder farming families (about 25,000 individual beneficiaries) in Mashonaland Central Province’s Guruve, Bindura, Mazowe, and Mt Darwin districts, helping them increase incomes and improve nutrition through commercial farming of biofortified crops.
At the centre of this effort is NUA45, a biofortified iron and zinc bean variety bred conventionally—not genetically modified. With iron levels of > 60 mg/kg and zinc at more than 25 mg/kg, NUA45 offers a nutritious alternative to traditional beans. Farmers report average yields of 1,234 kg per hectare compared to 1,107 kg for conventional beans, giving a yield advantage of about 12 per cent.
“Just last season, I cultivated 0.4 hectares of iron beans and harvested three tonnes within three months, earning more than US$3,000,” said Nosta Mapuranga, a 61-year-old farmer from Ward 11 in Bindura district.
Before the project, few farmers in the participating districts accessed formal sugar beans markets, which paid about US$0.50 per kilogramme. Most sold informally at much lower prices.
“Now, I have 10 bags of maize bought with income from iron beans,” said Mapuranga. “In the past, around this time, I wouldn’t even have one basin of maize. We’re no longer talking about hunger in this home.”
She added: “The project has improved our nutrition. We no longer see malnourished children — when one shows signs of weakness, we feed them with iron beans.”
Esau Chana, a smallholder farmer from Mt Darwin, concurred: “Our main concern has always been food security, and we’ve achieved it.”
With her earnings, Mapuranga has invested US$6,500 in building a family home and bought two steers worth US$400. “The project focuses on capacity building so we can facilitate teaching from within. Even after it ends in 2026, the work will continue.
Agriculture must be seen as a business that creates wealth,” explained Martin Chiwandire the district agricultural and business advisory officer in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
At Chifamba Secondary School in Guruve, 80 boarding learners now eat iron beans as part of their school meals. Headmaster Stephen Matayiwa said students’ health has improved significantly since introducing the beans.
HarvestPlus’ private-sector partner, Chico Foods, packages and distributes NUA45 beans through major retailers such as TM Pick n Pay and OK Zimbabwe. Sales Manager Malvin Shiringo, said: “NUA45 beans are changing how people think about nutrition. They’re helping fight iron deficiency while offering a healthier alternative.”
Chana says: “Working with Chico Foods guarantees us a reliable market and fair prices. They even come to our fields to buy the beans, which makes things easier for us farmers.”
HarvestPlus Zimbabwe Country Manager, Sakile Kudita, highlighted the power of partnerships: “By working with food processing companies like Chico Foods, we’re ensuring smallholder farmers have stable markets while making nutrient-dense foods accessible to more people, including non-farming consumers.
Kudita again: “Moreover, commercialisation is a sustainable model scaling socially beneficial technologies like biofortification, which helps fight hidden hunger.” Despite the successes, farmers face challenges such as drought and limited irrigation, which can threaten production.
The 2018 Global Nutrition Report emphasises that while knowledge on malnutrition is increasing, progress against key nutrition indicators remains slow, calling for greater efforts to make healthy diets affordable and accessible.
Biofortification is, however, not a silver bullet against hidden hunger. To achieve lasting nutritional and economic transformation, Zimbabwe must strengthen nutrition-sensitive agriculture and scale up partnerships that link farmers, markets, and consumers — turning farming into a sustainable business that nourishes the nation.
New Ziana
