30 November 2022
Introduction
On the 23rd of November 2022, the President Mnangagwa, gave the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the new Parliament building in Mount Hampden Harare. The address marked the opening of the Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe. During the speech, the President tabled 16 Bills for debate for the fifth session and implored legislators to deal with these critical pieces of legislation as a matter of urgency. The Acts and Bills related to the Agricultural Food Systems and Transformation Strategy (AFSTS) essential to this explainer are the Animal Health Control Act, Water Act, Land Commission Act, Bees Act, Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, Agricultural Resources Conservation Bill, and the Agricultural Education Bill.
The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) finds the tabling of these Bills laudable. For the past two decades, ZELA’s programming has been grounded in improving the livelihoods of marginalized communities. Food security and improved nutrition are critical elements to improving these livelihoods. The proposed Bills related to the AFSTS must provide a holistic approach that balances the needs of humanity and the environment.
ZELA’s work in the sphere
The National pathways for Food Systems Transformation in Support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda developed under AFSTS produced in September 2021 identifies five Action tracks as ”game-changing solutions”, and these are
- Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all
- Shifting to sustainable consumption patterns
- Boosting nature-positive production at sufficient scale.
- Advancing equitable livelihoods and value distribution.
- Building resilience to vulnerable shocks and stress
ZELA is implementing projects that touch on issues the Bills will address. These projects seek to address the ”game-changing solutions”/5 Action tracks under the AFSTS. For example, farmers are trained on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA). CSA helps farmers build resilience to vulnerable shocks and stresses. Several community nutrition gardens have been established, and these have improved safe and nutritious food for all. Income-generating projects (IGA) such as Beekeeping projects have been introduced, advancing equitable livelihoods and value distribution. Some of these IGA projects have seen households increasing income by over 50 per cent. To solidify these gains, a bottom-up approach is taken by training communities on community environmental governance targeting ward development and village development committees. These interventions are designed to complement the efforts of the Government of Zimbabwe to address food security and improved livelihoods at the district, provincial and national levels.
Significance of the SONA and Proposed Bills
The President’s address is timely, and stakeholders must take action to address shortcomings in the already existing Acts of Parliament and provide innovative solutions for the new Bills. What follows is a snapshot of some of the issues that must shape the narrative as Parliament debates these Bills. The discussion below is not exhaustive, it serves merely as a guide to some of the topical issues present.
- The Bees Act must address the threat of extinction of bees and how to counteract this. Without bees, the availability and diversity of fresh produce would decline substantially, and human nutrition would likely suffer. The stability of human populations is heavily dependent on bee populations; the ecological issue of the potential extermination of bees is also a humanitarian one. Furthermore, given the significant contribution bees make to our agricultural systems through pollination, their extinction would probably cause a food crisis.
- The Land Commission Act must adequately address the issues for which it was established, drawing from section 297 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, that is, to ensure accountability, fairness, and transparency in the administration of agricultural land that is vested in the State. Furthermore, it is imperative that the amendments address critical questions such as security of land tenure. Such amendments have the potential to unlock the investment value in the land. For instance, the agricultural industry can promote sustainable development and pro-poor economic growth. Addressing the issue of land tenure security and establishing favorable conditions for the bankability of agricultural projects are essential to realizing the potential.
- The Animal Health Control Act must address emerging trends such as zoonotic diseases and the threats posed by such. The Act must also be harmonized with crucial animal legislation, such as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Parks and Wildlife Act.
- The Water Act must address the issues around improved productive uses of water in rural areas. Further, it must confront the historical legacy of inequalities of access to land and water.
Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) must be linked, in innovative ways, with the land reform program, which provides access to productive land to rural people for livelihood improvement. With the combined access to fertile land and water, that water can be productively used to alleviate poverty and contribute to economic growth.
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, Agricultural Resources Conservation Bill, and Agricultural Education Bill – are welcome developments. However, these Bills must give effect to the import of section 77 of the Constitution – the right to food and water.
- Climate Change Adaptation – drastic changes have been witnessed due to climate change in the agricultural space. Climate change is one of the risks facing the nation and it has the potential to undermine many of the positive developments made in its meeting the country’s development goals, including the AFSTS. The proposed Bills above discussed must reflect the country’s commitments to act on climate change adaptation. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is one of the measures adopted by the Government to adapt to climate change, however there is need for the suggested Bills to promote CSA in clear, scalable, inclusive, and standalone manner. The Bills should clearly identify key institutions, supporting actors and possible synergies, highlighting the costs and benefits of implementation of CSA. Further, the debates around these Bills should consider existing programs and plans and the coherence and integration between agricultural development and processes that achieve sustainable food security.
Conclusion
Good laws and policies are one step towards achieving a prosperous Zimbabwe. In this regard, the SONA by the President of Zimbabwe chartered the nation in the right direction. This direction, however, must be coupled with practical action on the ground – implementation. ZELA remains committed to advancing the national vision through advocating for environmental justice, a key fundamental pillar – which encompasses cardinal principles around food security and improved livelihoods for communities.