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| Girls in Zambezi district, North Western province, preparing cassava for processing |
“All crops on my farm failed – not only maize. So we are buying maize from the government sheds – that is what is helping me feed my family,” said Nathan Mubambasu - a farmer from Magoye area in Mazubuka.
Mr. Mubambasu cultivated various crops on a 6 hectare farm but maize was the only cereal crop that he planted. He said that almost all his crop failed. However not all farmers in his dilemma are able to purchase maize to feed their families.
Also in his predicament was Kelvin Michelo, who only managed to salvage 2 hectares of maize from his 10 hectare cultivation. However, Mr. Mubambasu and Mr. Michelo can be described as the privileged few. Their situation is not the same for other farmers that they live near.
“At times they do not have any meal in day…At times they go and borrow or we ourselves just give them [food],” Mr. Michelo said.
His family of 9 have been relying on what he harvested from his 2 hectares and are privileged to have their daily potion of nshima.
Nshima is the main energy supplier in the Zambian diet. Furthermore, a significant number of Zambians prefer nshima cooked from maize. However, this lack of diversity in food production is proving to lead to hunger, poor nutrition and lack of resilience in food systems.(Hivos. 2017) This is evident from the testimonies coming from different districts that have been severely affected by drought.
This being the reality on the ground why then is crop diversification progressing slowing more especially among vulnerable farming communities?
In late August, Hivos Zambia launched a discussion paper entitled Beyond Maize: Exploring agricultural diversification in Zambia from different perspectives. The paper was a collaborative study which included input from: the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR), CSO SUN and the Indaba Agriculture Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) among others.
Among a number of significant factors worth noting, the study revealed that “…the Zambian food system is not delivering enough affordable or nutritious foods for the majority of the population,” IIED & HIVOS.2019
It highlighted limited access to land, lack of access to credit and lack of a diverse range of agricultural inputs as some of the leading reasons for slow uptake of crop diversification.
However it also seems evident that cultural tastes were also influencing the drive to crop diversification. Food supply is not only motivated by farmers’ need to generate income but also the cultural tastes of various communities. Farmers grow what consumers are willing to buy and it is from here where the struggle to diversify away from maize seems to be anchored.
Maize was one considered an inferior European food in the 16th and 17th centuries but today, it is an important staple food crop especially in sub-Sharan Africa. Even amidst the effects of climate change, farmers are still slow to diversify their agriculture away from maize.
At the same time, urban consumers who are the main target audience of farmers, are culturally accustomed to nshima made from maize. And so maize has become synonymous to food because it is now Zambia’s cultural staple food.
While there is a growing need to diversify diets in order to support crop diversification, there is need to consider and respect the cultural food systems of different farming communities.
When Mr. Mubambasu was asked if he would be willing to start growing and consuming cassava in response to changing rainfall pattern, he blatantly declined. His sentiments were shared by Mr. Michelo who also said he would not been willing to stop growing maize for cassava. Cassava is not part of the cultural diet of the communities in their area.
What role does culture play in crop diversification?
Culture is defined as “…the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts,” (www.livescience.com)
According to a 2015 FOODSECRUE working paper entitled The Impact of Culture, Religion and Traditional Knowledge on Food and Nutrition Security in Developing Countries, culture significantly influences the type and quantities of consumption of certain foods. Even the way food is processed and/or prepared is influenced by culture.
However cultures evolve. Maize is not indigenous to Zambia and was never part of the cultural diets of different communities in the country. But today, it is eaten on a daily basis in most homes – both rural and urban. It is being grown more than any other cereal that is indigenous to our diets.
In other words, production of certain crops has changed as cultural has evolved. Sorghum and millet are among the cereals that are indigenous to Zambia. But how many consumers would be willing to substitute their maize-made nshima for sorghum or millet?
“Actually [my children] would not be willing to eat sorghum nshima because they have never ever actually seen it,” Mr. Michelo admitted.
In like manner, a significant number of Zambians would not freely substitute nshima for rice or potatoes. Hence diversifying into those crops is not an easy task.
William Chilufya who is Advocacy Officer for Sustainable Diets at Hivos Southern Africa He explained that farmers would eagerly grow whatever had a guaranteed market.
Hence diversifying household diets would consequently boost the diversification of production.
“Farmers should be given access to the market. The moment farmers hear that there is a market for sorghum, for example, farmers would definitely [begin to grow] that. So it is important that the market forces work for a variety of food,” Mr. Chilufya.
Farming is a business and hence the adoption of crop diversification will respond to market demands and cultural cuisines.
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