Combating Food Insecurity on Sandy Soils in Zimbabwe: The Legume Dilemma

Maize, the staple food of Zimbabwe, is the most widespread crop grown under rainfed conditions in these systems but average maize yields remain low (<0.5 t ha⁻¹), threatening household food security. There are calls for diversification into high value crops, which may include both food and non-food leguminous crops as a means of sustaining household food security. However, several key questions with respect to diversification need to be answered. Firstly, what opportunities exist? Secondly, who has the capacity to diversify? Thirdly, which crops should be considered in this diversification process? The objectives of this study were to: (i) quantify farm-level maize and legume benefits generated through use of ISFM technologies; and (ii) promote appropriate targeting of ISFM technologies to different farmer-resource groups, paying particular attention to their capacity to adapt such technologies at field/farm levels.